When Beauty tempts the Beast
by auroraborealus
Summary: Tale of love between Kane and A.J. Chronicles the beginning of their romance and takes it further to speculate what would have happened if Kane had not rejected her? Would she have been able to show him love to lift him into the light or would he drag them both down into darkness? Also C.M. Punk, Daniel Bryan and The Undertaker. Alternate ending also available. Please ask!
1. Chapter 1

1

He was a monster.

No one had to tell Kane this. It was something he'd known all his life. Even as a child he knew he was different. He took no joy in normal childish things. He had no friends, he scared the other children. He had no interest in toys except to discover different ways to destroy them, smashing or burning. Once, well meaning relatives gave him a pet kitten and then screamed at him when they caught him dissecting it. They took the small corpse away and beat him with a leather strap. He didn't mind. He welcomed the pain. It somehow connected him to the world and made him feel alive, made him feel _there_.

It was the same when people looked at him with fear and revulsion in their eyes. He relished the way they cringed, the way their eyes widened and their pulse quickened. He could smell the fear pouring from their skin, the adrenaline laced stench of terror that assaulted his senses. He relished the knowledge that, if he chose, he could destroy any of them as easily as a normal man could crush an ant. He fed off of the despair he saw in the eyes of everyone who looked at him.

Everyone, but her...

She was beautiful, even his eyes could see that, small and delicate, with eyes like dark gemstones and lips that tasted of honey. When he closed his eyes he could see her again, flitting around the ring like a butterfly, her eyes locked on his, a smile curving her lips… and then...

He shook his head. She was just a girl, puny, weak. She should have been beneath his notice. And yet, for the past several weeks she had been on the fringes of his attention, always watching, always smiling. And for some reason he couldn't explain she was distracting him.

She'd already cost him a victory against Sheamus, a disqualification loss to that jumped up oaf with skin the color of dead worms. And then this past Monday, on Raw…

Kane blinked and growled his lip curling at the memory. Heath Slater, waiting for his next match to start, looked at him warily and slowly moved away. Kane was unpredictable and the last thing Slater wanted was to be choke slammed merely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kane took no notice of Slater as he began to pace the floor, struggling with the memories in his skull.

It had happened on Raw, Monday night. Twice he had C.M. Punk poised for the finish, first a choke slam and then a tombstone, but the sniveling weakling somehow managed to squirmed out of his grasp both time. He stumbled back into his own corner as Kane stalked him and brushed against his partner, a tiny waif of a girl named A.J. True to his cowardice, C.M. Punk rolled out of the ring as A.J. hesitantly stepped in. Kane took a step toward her, recognizing her as the odd woman who seemed to stalk him the past week. Amazingly, she met his eyes without fear. She slowly walked closer, and then smiled.

Before he could decide what to do with this puzzling creature she began to skip. She skipped around and around him, her silky hair floating behind her, her eyes locked on his. Her smile grew even wider as he craned his head to watch her circle him, round and round. Then, as suddenly as she began, she came to a halt, right behind him. He spun around, flinging his hair out of his face and pinning her with a stare that had quailed men four times her size. But she was not quailed.

She boldly held his eyes with her own and then, before he could react, she jumped up into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Astonished, he instinctively caught her. She was as light and soft as that long ago kitten and his first impulse was to grab her by the throat and choke slam her as he had done to a thousand others. But her smile…her smile made him freeze. No one in his life had ever looked at him the way this girl was looking at him now. Certainly, no woman had ever smiled at him, or held his gaze so openly and without a trace of fear. And before he could push her away, or drop her she was kissing him.

And she _kept_ kissing him and kissing him and he could no more move than if he'd been turned to stone. The world dropped away, the raucous sound of the crowd drowned out by the rushing of his own blood in his ears. He could smell the sweet scent of her hair, taste her lips on his own, time seemed to stop as the kiss went on and on and on.

Finally, she broke free and lightly hopped down from his arms. She was still smiling and looking at him in that way. He backed away from her, confused and then did the only thing he could think of. He tagged in Daniel Bryan and walked out of the ring. He walked away up the ramp as alien emotions boiled away inside of him. He paused at the top of the ramp and looked back at the ring, unable to hide his confusion. A.J. was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the ring, still smiling…

"And now Vickie and A.J. are getting into it in the ring!"

Kane snaps back to the present and spins around to look at the backstage monitor. The first match of Smackdown is well underway, a tag team bout between Dolph Ziggler & Daniel Bryan and C.M. Punk & Sheamus. Right on cue, Vickie is getting involved in the match and A.J. charges into the ring to confront her. He watches as A.J. chases Vickie out of the ring only to be flung, hard against the ring apron. She crumples to the ground as Vickie flees up the ramp.

Without hesitation, Kane heads out to the ring. An explosion of red fire greets his approach but he barely hears or feels it. He can see A.J., still lying on the ground, holding the back of her neck in pain. Ignoring everything else he walks up to her and then pauses, staring down at her, unsure of what he was going to do or even why he was out here. She slowly looks up at him. Her eyes are glassy and unfocused. He bends down and sweeps her up in his arms. He barely feels her weight as she settles against his chest. He turns and begins to walk back up the ramp. He had barely gotten halfway when someone hits him from behind. He stumbles and drops A.J. at the top of the ramp.

He turns, it is C.M. Punk. The red veil of rage falls across his eyes. This is familiar and soothing; the need to crush and destroy that comes so easily. He makes short work of CM Punk, head butting him and then throwing his dazed body back into the ring where Daniel Bryan tries to take advantage of the situation, pouncing on Punk and pummeling him. Kane grabs Bryan by the throat, squeezes until his eyes look like they are about to pop and then choke slams him so hard the ring shudders. He turns from Bryan's limp body in time to catch that fool Punk in mid charge, wraps his hand around Punk's throat and slams him down into unconsciousness.

He turns to see A.J. standing at the top of the ramp, watching him with a look of consternation on her face. As he watches, she slowly drops to her knees and begin laughing. Her eyes meet his and the look on her face changes, her smile softening. Even from this distance he can feel her eyes piercing his and inexplicably, he feels his rage melting away….


	2. Chapter 2

2

No Way Out.

It was fun being crazy.

For one thing, it definitely beat being in love. A.J. had been in love once, completely, hopelessly in love, only to have her heart crushed by that mean old Daniel Bryan. Looking back now, she wondered what she had been thinking, giving his her heart and absolute devotion only to be treated with cruelty and disdain in return.

She remembered the humiliation of being dumped by Bryan and the pain that seemed like it would never go away. That was an awful time, it still stung to remember how she had begged and pleaded for him to take her back only to be rebuffed time and time again. It seemed like her heartbreak would never end until one day she woke up and it was as if something in her mind had changed, something snapped. The world looked different. She no longer cared if Bryan loved her. In fact, the very idea of going back to him made her want to laugh like a loon. She was free.

Love was stupid. She saw that now. It was unpredictable and it could hurt. It was much more fun to toy with men, dance from one to another and never let them touch her heart. And it was so easy. She discovered a new kind of power, the kind derived from her pretty face. All it took was a long melting look from her big brown eyes, a pout or a smile and most of them turned into gibbering fools. And tears! Even the hardest of them couldn't stand up to her tears. She loved the way she could rattle men, keep them off balance and even Daniel Bryan was looking at her in a new way.

She knew people were starting to talk about her and her sudden personality change. It was obvious in the way they whispered to each other when they thought she wasn't looking or suddenly stopped talking when she entered a room. They were calling her crazy but that was OK. It was fun being crazy.

And the best part of it all was you never had to explain your actions.

She skipped around the backstage area, humming a little tune under her breath. Most of the other divas avoided her now. That was OK. She'd found girlfriends overrated anyway. As she turned a corner she spotted a familiar head of greasy, slicked back hair. She grinned as she recognized C.M. Punk. Oh, he was _cute,_ in a dark, swarthy kind of way, and funny and witty and charming when he wanted to be. She had fun confusing the hell out of him with her antics. Punk was busy giving an interview so it was easy to sneak up right next to him. He was right in the middle of a sentence when he noticed her standing right by his elbow.

"…but my entire life I've been beating….the odds…." He trailed off and looked down at her. "uh…hi", he waggled his fingers at her. She gave him her biggest grin.

"Hi!" She looked down then up at him through her lashes. "I just wanted to give you a good luck kiss."

He bobbed his head like a puppet, "Well, thank you A.J. but…"

Before he could finish, she reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. He looked bemused before wiping his cheek and then looking at his hand. He looked at her with a smile, "Luck's for losers."

He hightailed it out of there before she could reply. She watched him go with a satisfied grin on her face.

OH, that was fun! She giggled as she wandered around backstage. These silly men, she knew they wanted her but at the same time were put off by her crazy antics. Who else could she mess with?

She spotted someone jumping around and shadowboxing near the dock loading area. Could it be? Yep, it was her old flame, Daniel Bryan, "working out" before his match. She hung back and watched him for a second, wondering what the hell she'd ever seen in him. Oh sure, he was kind of cute in a dorky kind of way, but when she loved him, he was a jerk.

And now looking at him with an objective eye, she saw he was in desperate need of a makeover. God, his hair and that beard! He looked like he had a dead squirrel glued to his chin!

He turned and spotted her watching him, "What do you want?" He said rudely.

She plastered her most innocent and demure look on her face as she sidled closer to him.

"Daniel, "she said, acting nervous, "I know that we've been through a lot, and..."

"A.J., "he interrupted impatiently, "now is not the time, ok?" he started to walk away.

"Please, just listen, ok?" she pleaded. He stopped and looked at her with annoyance.

She hesitated, as if trying to choose her words carefully, "Look, I know you have a match to get ready for and I'm not trying to distract you or anything, but I just wanted to tell you that even after everything that we've been through, there's still a part of me that hasn't gotten over you. " She punctuated her words with the biggest, doe eyed look she could.

"I don't…I don't care", he said. That pompous ass!

She doggedly continued, "And I don't expect you to do anything about it, OK? I just wanted to tell you. "

He stared at her with the dumbest expression on his mug. God, did she really ever love this buffoon?

"And," she continued, "I wanted to with you good luck." She quickly gave him a peck on the cheek and left.

She glanced back as she walked away to see him preening and resuming his shadowboxing. She rolled her eyes, what a doofus!

She giggled to herself. Men were so stupid! Their problem was that they assumed every girl with a pretty face was stupid. Oh, they were easy to play and play off of each other. All men were the same.

She paused frowning, all men that is…except one.

Kane.

Was he even a man, or was he a machine? She couldn't tell. All she knew was that even though he was scary and creepy, she still found his dark, brooding nature perversely hot.

He wasn't really her type. He was so big and tall that he made her feel like a dwarf. His eyes were spooky, he always smelled faintly smoky and sulfurous, like fire and brimstone, and that mask…who knew what he really looked like under there? He could even be all deformed and scarred under there, eww!

She'd only kissed him to see what it was like kissing the Big Red Machine and it was kind of disappointing, really. It had been like kissing a statue. He hadn't moved at all as she laid a big wet one on him and she'd hopped down from his arms wondering if he really was a demon, implacable and unmoved. But then he'd left the match, wandering up the ramp, pausing only to shoot confused glances back at her and leaving Daniel Bryan to lose to C.M. Punk.

And then, two nights ago, when she'd been hurt in that scuffle with that shrieky bitch Vickie, he'd come down to scoop her up off the floor and carry her away to god knows where. She wasn't sure she wanted to find out and luckily, C.M. Punk, that adorable ninny, raced up to save her. She was tickled that Punk had scarified himself to stop Kane. Kane dumped her on the floor as he turned to deal with Punk and she was free.

But still, she reflected, for those five seconds it hadn't been all that bad being carried away by Kane. He was very warm, his strong arms scooping her effortlessly off the floor, and being snuggled in those arms almost made her feel safe and secure, until she remembered who he was. For all she knew he could be carrying her back to his lair for some sort of human sacrifice.

Ha!

She stopped in her tracks and grinned broadly as a thought crossed her mind. Well, why not? She kissed the other two tonight, right? She might as well make it three for three. And maybe she could get a second chance to see what was really underneath that mask of Kane.

"Hey, hey Layla!"

Layla, waiting for her cue by the stage entrance, threw an annoyed look over her shoulder at the crazy chick shouting at her.

"What do you want?" she said irritably. "I'm about to go on for my match!"

A.J. clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes, "Have you seen Kane?"

Layla's eyebrows shot up, "Kane?" she repeated incredulously, "Uh, no, I haven't. Thank god."

"Oh," A.J. pouted for a moment, "Well, OK, thanks!" She gave Layla a big, toothpaste commercial smile, turned and skipped away. Layla shook her head as she watched A.J. go. Poor girl was definitely whacked in the head.

A.J. was frustrated. She'd been searching for Kane for 30 minutes and he was nowhere to be seen backstage. He had to be here, he had to! He had a match at the Pay Per View tonight!

"Hey, you!" She snapped her fingers at a stagehand pushing a handcart. "Have you seen Kane?"

The stagehand looked at her as if she'd lost her mind,"Um, I think I saw him down in the basement. But, I wouldn't bother him if I were you."

"Gee, thanks for the advice," she rolled her eyes and bounced away.

A.J. blew a strand of hair out of her face and looked around the vast basement, a pout beginning to form on her lips. That idiot stagehand could have at least specified where in the basement Kane was. The place was huge and full of dark corners. Equipment was stacked everywhere. It could take her forever to find him down here.

It took her nearly a half hour but she found him around a section of metal shelves. He was alone, standing with his fists against the shelves and his head down with his hair hanging in his face. A dim spotlight illuminated him. He looked dangerous, angry, lonely and sexy all at once.

She walked toward him slowly. He saw her immediately and turned to confront her.

She'd had a little speech all rehearsed and ready to go but the words stuck in her throat as he towered over her. Oh God, what was she thinking? She was relatively safe on Monday Night Raw, C.M. Punk and Daniel Bryan were there as well as thousands of people in the audience. But down here, it was just the two of them. She could disappear and they would never even find her body.

"I, uh. I don't…." she stammered. He was staring at her, staring through her. Did the man ever blink? All she could see through his mask were his eyes, one dark and smoldering, the other light and cold as ice.

She tried again, "I can't really explain…" He was so big! She knew he was a giant but it seemed she forgot just HOW big he was and every time she stood next to him she was astonished again at his sheer size. He could squish her like a grape if he wanted to.

She gave up. Instead, she took a deep breath and gave him her most winning smile, "I just wanted to wish you good luck tonight."

She kissed him hastily on the cheek and then turned to go but he reached out and grabbed her elbow. She looked up at him, startled and scared. Had she made a mistake? Was he going to do something awful to her now? He stared at her, his mismatched eyes boring a hole into her face, then pulled her back to him, leaned down and kissed her. She stiffened in surprise for a split second, but then, as if they had a mind of their own, her arms rose up around his neck and she was kissing him back. His lips were dry and a little clumsy, but at the same time warm and gentle. His hand slid down the small of her back, holding her firmly.

Then, as quickly as it started, he broke the kiss off, turned and walked away leaving her stunned and slightly breathless.

What the hell was that?

She leaned back against the shelves, her legs were suddenly wobbly. What was she getting herself into?


	3. Chapter 3

3

WWE Title match.

Kane stood motionless, head down before the entranceway to the arena, waiting for his music. He was breathing hard and could hear his blood singing in his ears but couldn't tell if it was from the anticipation of the carnage to come or from what had just happened.

What was wrong with him?

He had no business kissing that woman. She was mortal, she was _human._ He had no interest in something so delicate and fragile. And why did she keep seeking him out? What did she want with him?

His thoughts broke off as he abruptly realized he was touching his lips, reliving the kiss he had just shared with her. He snatched his hand away, fingers curling in anger. Slowly he laid his fingertips on the mask that covered the ruined flesh of his face. No woman would ever look upon him without horror and revulsion. It was not possible. Rage surged through him. She was trying to make a fool of him, trying to distract him from his purpose. He knew she had allied herself with C.M. Punk, this was just a ploy to help him win the match.

His hands clenched into fists, breathing hard between teeth clench in anger. The next time she was fool enough to cross his path he would not kiss her. He would break her pretty little neck.

He heard the sonorous strains of his entrance music rumble through the arena and stalked out onto the stage. His flames exploded, throwing the entire arena into stark red relief. All thoughts of the woman A.J. left his mind. He was in his element. He was ready to destroy.

The match began predictably enough. Neither C.M. Punk nor Daniel Bryan was strong enough to defeat him on their own, so they formed a brief alliance, trying to finish him quickly. The alliance didn't last long, however as they both tried to pin him and then turned on each other. He recovered quickly and rejoined the brawl which somehow resulted in all three of them outside the ring, Kane and Bryan on the floor and C.M. Punk pandering to the crowd.

Punk threw Bryan back into the ring and tried to cover him but failed. Kane rose and grabbed Punk through the ring ropes, pulling him out of the ring and slamming him against the outside barrier. The crowd cheered. Kane turned toward the ring too late to avoid two boots to the face from Bryan. He staggered slightly but then Bryan was foolish enough to try to jump on him and Kane easily took him down with a blow to the throat.

Bryan lay on the floor, gagging, writhing and holding his throat. Kane picked Punk up from the floor and proceeded to use the ring post to torture him. He relished Punk's screams of agony as he stretched him around the post, using it like some medieval torture rack.

He tried to gain a pinfall against Punk but somehow the slippery bastard managed to wriggle out of his grasp. Then Daniel Bryan reappeared, knocking Punk to the canvas and then recklessly charging Kane. He easily caught the puny mortal and slammed him down for a cover. Somehow, Bryan kicked out and through a series of surprisingly acrobatic moves, ended up kicking Kane in the face and knocking him out of the ring.

Kane lay on the floor outside the ring, laughing. Pain coursed through his head but he welcomed it, lived off of it! He rose and leapt back into the ring.

The next few minutes were a blur, as he dealt punishment to both Punk and Bryan and received it in return. He vaguely remembered being kicked repeatedly in the chest by Bryan, the final kick landing on his temple and sending him crashing to his back. When he got back to his feet Punk clotheslined him over the top rope and outside the ring. He climbed back in and returned the favor by putting a big boot in Punk's face. Then he threw Punk into the corner and rammed him over and over again.

Bryan suddenly popped up from where ever he'd been hiding and recovering his strength and managed to get the yes lock on Punk. Punk again wriggled out of the hold. Kane grabbed Bryan and pulled him out of the ring, then wrapped his hand around Punk's throat and chokeslammed him to hell. Incredibly, Punk got back up. The two men exchanged blow after blow, each trying to beat the other into a submissive pulp.

Somehow, during the struggle C.M. Punk pushed him hard launching him into the far ring ropes. He careened into the rope and collided with someone standing on the ring apron. Even above the noise of the crowd he could hear her sharp cry of pain. He whirled around and saw A.J. fall off the apron and onto the hard floor.

Suddenly, neither the match, nor the belt, nor anything else was as important as the deathly still form of the girl lying crumpled next to the ring.

A.J.

His chest felt like it was going to burst. She was laying so still. It was his fault she was hurt. He had to make sure she was OK, he had to make sure she was safe. He turned toward C.M. Punk who kicked him in the face. He barely felt it. He allowed Punk to pick him up and put him in the GTS. He allowed Punk to cover him and get the three count. And when it was over, he jumped from the ring and rushed to A.J.

A referee was there, checking to see if she was OK but he moved hastily aside for Kane. Kane stood over her, looking at her still form. He had vowed to destroy her the next time he saw her, but he knew couldn't do it. He wanted to hold her again. He wanted to stroke her hair and see her eyes open and smile up at him. He wanted to hear her say his name. He couldn't hurt her. Not now, not ever.

He picked her up in his arms like a bride, cradling her against his chest. Her eyes fluttered, and then slowly opened.

"Wha-"she whispered.

He turned with her in his arms and began walking away from the ring, up the ramp. She was looking at him now, her eyes clearer and she knew who he was.

"Kane?"

He didn't reply. He stalked grimly on waiting to see what she would do to find herself being carried off by him again. Would she start to struggle? Would she scream?

She did neither. Instead, she slid her arms around her neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He turned his head into her hair and briefly let himself breathe its sweet scent. She sighed and tightened her arms, burying her face into his neck. He could feel her breath on his bare skin and suddenly, he felt as if he could barely breathe at all.

He carried her into the back, past the executive offices, past the dressing rooms, past the stares of other WWE wrestlers and divas. They cleared a path before him. No was brave or foolish enough to try to stop him.

"Kane?"

He looked down at her face. She gazed up at him. Incredibly, there was no fear in her look. She was looking into his eyes with…trust?

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Immediately, he put her down on her feet and stepped away. Where was he going to take her? What was he supposed to do with her? He didn't know. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. What did she want?

"I'm…sorry." He said finally, "I didn't want to hurt you."

She smiled, "I know. You didn't hurt me." She hesitated, "Did I…did I make you lose the match?"

He dismissed it, flipping his hair out of his face. "That doesn't matter. Punk's time will come."

She was looking up at him through those thick eyelashes. Her eyes were shining like a full moon.

"Kane, what happened earlier, before your match-"

That was the last thing he wanted to discuss. He could barely fathom what it was that made him want to protect her instead of torture her. He certainly wasn't going to start talking about his feelings with her.

He cut her off "I'm sorry A.J. It's time for me to go."

He turned on his heel and strode away.

"Wha-, wait!" she said,

"Kane! Wait! Kane!"

He ignored her. Her voice became fainter and fainter as he left her behind.

"Kane!" A.J. yelled, but he was gone. She bounced on her toes, frustrated. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with _her_? She'd done what she wanted, distracting him enough to help C.M. Punk win the match. She'd even given Punk a sly, conspiratorial grin over Kane's shoulder as the brute carried her away.

It hadn't exactly turned out the way she'd planned. She meant to distract Kane long enough for Punk to get an advantage over him and win the match but instead, Punk had thrown Kane directly into her, knocking her hard to the floor, just an accident, she was sure. But as she lay on the floor, it had been Kane who rushed to her side, picked her up and carried her to safety while Punk was too busy celebrating his win in the ring.

"A.J.!" She looked up to see Punk sprinting toward her, clutching the WWE title belt. Finally, he'd come looking for her!

"A.J.!" He stopped in front of her panting slightly. He was sweaty and looked exhausted but every hair on his head was still slicked back in place. What did he put in it, shellac?

"Are you OK?" he asked, touching her lightly on the shoulder.

She smiled brightly at him, clasping her hands together. "I'm fine. Congratulations on winning the match!"

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. God, he really was a cutie, even if she could have done without that beard and some of the stupid tattoos he had. "Thank you! Look, I'm sorry about that back there. I didn't mean to shove Kane into you. I didn't see you standing there. "

She giggled, "Oh, don't be silly. I'm fine."

He nodded, "Well, I'm glad to see you're OK. I was really worried when Kane carried you off back here."

_Oh really? Then why did it take you fifteen minutes to come back and find me?_

"It's OK. I'm fine. And I'm glad you're still the WWE champion. That's all that matters to me. " she assured him.

He looked down at her appraisingly, "You know, A.J. I might have misjudged you."

She titled her head and bit her lip, looking up at him through her lashes.

"In fact," he continued," I kinda dig you."

She pouted her pretty lips, "Even though everyone says I'm crazy?" she asked coyly.

Punk grinned, "Hey, didn't I say I dug crazy chicks?" He slung the title belt over his shoulder and offered her his arm. "Why don't we go celebrate my win?"

She beamed and linked her arm through his. They walked off not seeing the man standing in the shadows watching them with furious eyes.

As they turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Daniel Bryan stepped out from the dark corner he'd been hiding in.

That little bitch.

She cost him the match.

She would pay.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Monday Night Raw

A.J. looked at herself in the mirror and giggled. It was perfect!

She put her hands on her hips and struck a pose. "Hello Kane," she purred, and then laughed again.

The outfit was a scream, the tight pants, red on one side and black on the other and the little back and red top. But the kicker was the mask. It was an exact replica of the mask Kane wore.

The idea had been C.M. Punk's. He had a tag team match tonight with Sheamus against Kane and Daniel Bryan and came up with a way to distract the Big Red Oaf and win the match.

"Now, do just enough to distract him, "he instructed. "Don't get too close to him."

A.J. pushed the mask up in her head and turned to look at him. "Oh, I don't think he would hurt me." She said."Besides, I think he kinda likes me. "

Despite herself she remembered how it felt to be enclosed by Kane's strong arms, to feel the rapid thudding of his heart against her. She smiled slightly, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She suddenly broke out of her reverie to see Punk staring at her. She realized he had just said something to her but darned if she could remember what it was.

"Uh, what?" she said.

Punk let out a snort of exasperation. "I said, are you crazy?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head, throwing up his hands. "What am I saying? Of course you are."

He turned and pointed at her, "Look, honey, you're, beautiful, gorgeous. I'm sure that being kissed by a little number like you has scrambled his brain but Kane isn't a normal human being. Sooner or later, he's going get tire of just looking at the outside of you and he's going want to cut you open and see what your insides look like too."

A.J. rolled her eyes, "Don't be a silly." She said. "Besides, I know what to do. I won't let him get too close to me."

C.M. Punk nodded. "Good."He pulled her close to him and smiled, "Besides, I don't want him running off with you again."

She pulled the mask back down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're so cute when you worry about me."

And so here she was, skipping merrily down the ramp toward the ring in her Kane mask and outfit as Daniel Bryan and C.M. Punk battled in the ring. She could see Kane standing on the apron outside the far corner. He turned his head at the sound of her music and saw her. The effect was galvanic. Even from where she was she could see his entire body jerk in shock. He slowly turned as she rounded the ring, his eyes transfixed on her. He seemed to forget his partner and even the match as he began to walk along the ring apron to keep her in sight.

She skipped around the third turn and saw Sheamus standing at the opposite corner, watching her with a bemused expression on his face. Even in the ring Punk and Bryan had paused to watch her. She flashed Punk a smile as she completed her circuit and started back up the ramp. She threw a glance over her shoulder and saw Kane had completely abandoned the match. He was following her, his head tilted, staring at her with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

Beyond him, she could see the match had resumed. C.M. Punk and Sheamus taking advantage of the now-partnerless Daniel Bryan to team up and kick the crap out of him. She grinned. That alone was worth it. With one last flourish she skipped into the back.

Kane charged into the backstage area. Where had she gone? He stood, nostrils flaring as if he could catch the very scent of her. Why was she wearing that mask? He had to find her.

Someone smacked him on the back. He turned around to see Daniel Bryan glaring furiously up at him.

"What was that?" Bryan demanded. "That's the second time you've left me high and dry! What the hell's the matter with you?"

Kane dismissed him, pushing past him to walk down the hall.

Bryan grabbed his shoulder, "Hey, I'm talking to you! Don't walk away from me you big, ugly-!"

Kane spun around, clamped his hand around Bryan's throat and slammed him into the wall hard enough to smash through the plaster and leave a Daniel Bryan sized hole in the wall. Bryan choked and gagged and tried desperately to pry Kane's hand from his throat to no avail. Kane slowly lifted him up, staring at him with head tilted to the side as Bryan's face turned red, then purple.

Just as Bryan was about to pass out, Kane tossed him casually to the floor. Bryan gasped pushing himself up on all fours and sucking in lungfuls of air through his raw, throbbing throat. He saw the tips of Kane's boots and looked up to see the monster looming over him.

"A.J." Kane said, "Tell me what A.J. likes."

"What-?"Bryan rasped, "A.J.? What are you talking about?"

Kane kicked Bryan hard in the ribs, flipping him over onto his back, and then put one of his enormous boots on Bryan's throat, threatening to crush his larynx.

"What does she like?" He repeated.

"I dunno, I dunno," Bryan squeaked, "Flowers I guess?"

Kane glared down at him, then released Bryan and walked away. Daniel Bryan rolled back to his knees, coughing and clutching his throat. What the hell was going on?

"Uh…Mr. Bryan? Are you OK?"

He looked up to see Josh Matthews, a backstage interviewer, standing over him with a concerned look on his face.

"Uh, Mr Bryan? Would you be able to tell us what just happened between you and your uh…tag team partner, Kane?

Bryan dragged himself to his feet and snatched the mic away from Matthews, "What happened?" he asked sarcastically. "What happened was that he walked away from a match AGAIN and cost me another victory!"

Matthews cleared his throat, "Uh, do you think that A.J. is influencing his actions?"

Bryan looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Are you stupid?" he demanded, "OF COURSE SHE IS! My slut of an ex girlfriend uses that big dummy Kane as a stripper pole and he completely loses it! It's HER fault! It's her fault I'm not WWE Champion! And is she going to pay?"

Matthews hesitated, "Uhm, is she?"

Bryan glared at him "YES! YES! YES!" He shouted. He dropped the mic to the floor and stomped off.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Smackdown

A flower.

A rose.

A _black_ rose to be exact.

A.J. stared at the single stem in the slim cut glass vase. It had been sitting inside her locker when she arrived at the arena. There was no card, no indication of where it had come from.

She looked over at Eve, one locker over.

"Have you seen anyone putting anything in my locker?" she asked.

The sultry Latina Diva arched her eyebrows and shook her head. "No," She glanced inside A.J.'s locker. "What's that? Flowers?"

A.J. picked up the rose. It was gorgeous, with dusky black petals that looked like velvet and the scent! She held the rose to her nose, oh god, sweet and delirious; they should make perfume out of this flower!

"I guess I've got a secret admirer." She said.

Eve pursed her lips, "Maybe not an admirer. Don't you know black roses are bad juju?"

A.J. looked at her in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Eve nodded at the rose sagely, "Black roses, they stand for Death."

A.J. looked at Eve, wide-eyed, trying to decide whether or not the other Diva was making fun of her or not. The other Divas mostly thought she was stupid little girl and liked to be mean to her.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, which flew open. C.M. Punk stuck his head inside, saw A.J.

"There you are, babe. I've been looking all over for you!"

A.J. smiled at him brightly, as she surreptitiously shoved the rose back into her locker and shut the door.

"Punk! You came!"

Punk walked toward her with his arms open and she ran to give him a hug and a kiss.

"Punk!" Eve said sharply. "You do know this is the _women's_ locker room?"

Punk grinned and shrugged, "Honey, you don't have anything I haven't seen before."

Eve scowled, "You know, I just might surprise you," she said sarcastically, as she shut her locker with a bang and walked out.

A.J. pecked tiny kisses all over Punk's face, acting giddy with happiness. Punk didn't even have a match tonight; he didn't have to be here. He'd shown up at the show just to support her! He really was sweet, even if he did look like he only showered once every two weeks.

"I'm so glad you're here!" She squealed, hanging on his neck.

"Of course I'm here. You're the guest timekeeper. I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Punk said as he disentangled her arms from his neck. "So, what's the game plan tonight?"

A.J. shrugged, "I don't know yet," she admitted. "But I'm gonna get Daniel Bryan, you just wait and see."

Punk chucked her under the chin fondly, "That's my girl."

A.J. pouted and gave him the doe eyes, "He was mean to me."

Punk gathered her up in his arms and gave her a squeeze, "No one is ever going to be mean to you again. But, remember what I told you." He shook a finger in her face, "Stay away from Kane. You've messed with his head enough. You push him too much and he is going to go berserk."

A.J. laughed. Silly, silly, C.M. Punk, he obviously didn't know what she was capable of. "I already told you, Kane won't hurt me. He's like a…a big old teddy bear!"

"A teddy—" Punk gave a bark of laughter, "Yeah, if by 'teddy bear' you mean 'psychotic maniac'! Look, I'm not going to tell you again. STAY AWAY FROM HIM. Promise?"

A.J. sighed. Why were men so difficult? "OK," she kissed her index and middle finger and held them up solemnly. "I promise."

Kane's blinding red pyro rocked the arena and his music thundered through the air. Thick smoke drifted out of the entrance and spewed out the hell beast himself. He stalked to the ring, a black iron mask covering this entire face. In the ring, he summoned another blaze of hellfire from the ring.

A.J., backstage, waiting for her cue, watched Kane's entrance on one of the many monitors. She had to admit, he really was impressive. Huge, muscley and faceless, he looked like he could wade through an army, slaughtering his foes left and right and leaving a trail of death behind him.

Death.

Her thoughts wandered back to the rose she'd found in her locker. Dark and beautiful and, if Eve was to be believed, signifying Death. She was pretty sure it wasn't from Punk. That didn't seem to be his style. Her eyes flicked back to the image of Kane on the monitor.

Could it possibly be from…?

She startled as he turned, looked straight into the camera and met her eyes. For a moment, it seemed like he could see right through the monitor and look into her soul.

"A.J.!" She jumped as a member of the production crew touched her arm. "You're up!"

She scrambled to her feet, embarrassed. She'd almost missed her cue!

Her music was already playing as she waltzed out, a smile on her lips. She could feel Kane's eyes on her, watching her as she made her way to her place near the announce table. She glanced up at him and felt a jolt as her eyes met his smoldering gaze. She looked away hastily and plopped down in the timekeeper's chair, smiling to cover up her discomfiture.

Holy cow, why was this big, scary man even making her feel this way? Her cheeks were hot and her stomach was doing flip flops. She _liked _C.M. Punk. He was a total step up from her old douche of a boyfriend. He was the coolest guy she'd ever met, super cute, rebellious and funny and she was sure in time she could even convince him to shave and get a better haircut. She had wanted to ally herself with the WWE champion and she was glad it was him.

Punk was right; Kane was a psycho, a mysterious, strangely sexy psycho, but a psycho all the same.

From the corner of her eye she could see Kane had turned to stare at her but she refused to look at him again.

The music changed to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie. Oh god, A.J. rolled her eyes and frowned. She'd told Daniel Bryan over and over again that he should get something more modern, more hip for his entrance music but he, in his grandiose pompousness, refused. Bryan came hopping like a fool out of the entrance yelling "YES! YES! YES!" with every jump.

She had the steel hammer in her hand, thumping it into her palm with every "YES!" and imagining she was using it on his face. She hoped Kane ripped him apart limb from limb.

Bryan finally got into the ring and removed his jacket. The two men locked up as the match started.

"Go get him, big guy, "she whispered fiercely.

The match was surprisingly even, with both men landing near pinfalls several times. She gave a silent cheer every time Bryan was on the receiving end of the punishment and a wince every time he had the upper hand. She gripped the hammer so tightly her hand was starting to cramp. She would make sure Daniel Bryan lost this match if she had to jump into the ring and beat him with the hammer herself.

Then, Kane made a mistake as he tried to put Bryan into a chokeslam. Bryan ducked under his hand and kicked Kane's leg out from beneath him. Kane stumbled to his knees and Bryan kicked him right in the head. A.J. gasped as Kane fell heavily to the canvas. Bryan tried to get a pin fall but Kane kicked out. Bryan went to the top rope for a flying headbutt but Kane caught him by the throat in mid air. Kane picked him up to chokeslam him but Bryan managed to get him into a guillotine. The guillotine turned into a sunset flip and amazingly, Bryan managed to get the Yes! Lock on Kane.

A.J. hovered on the edge of her seat. Kane wouldn't submit. He _couldn't_ submit! He was fighting his way to the edge of the ring, toward the ropes, dragging Bryan with him. She could see the pain on his face, even through the mask. She had to do something.

A.J. rang the bell.

The referee looked over at her in surprise, "What the hell are you doing?" she heard him yell over the noise of the crowd. "He didn't submit!'

She held her hands out, pretending innocence.

Bryan jumped to his feet, doing that ridiculous hop of his and yelling "YES! YES! YES!"

The ref interrupted his premature celebration, trying to explain that Kane never tapped out. Bryan looked pissed, but charged at Kane again, determined to finish it.

Kane rose up and caught Bryan but the throat. This time there was no escape as he hoisted Bryan up into the air and slammed him down onto the mat. He covered Bryan's limp body for a pin.

A.J. rang the bell again and tossed the hammer onto the table. She gave Kane a coy smile as he looked at her. There was blood on his face, it made him look brutal. She gave him a last, lingering look as she started to skip away. Yeah, she liked C.M. Punk, but a girl could still look, right?

As she skipped up the ramp she caught a glimpse of Kane on the jumbo tron. She could almost swear he was smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Parts Unknown

A.J.

Her smile….

A.J.

Her kiss….

A.J.

He couldn't stop thinking about her.

She was becoming an obsession. Her name sang in his veins, he could hear it with every pulse of his heart. It was no use denying that that pint sized girl was stirring up feelings in him he'd never thought possible.

Yes, she was beautiful, but he'd seen many beautiful women and none of them ever affected him much beyond the idle thoughts of what their heads would look like on a spike. And yes, she seemed slightly unbalanced mentally, but, after all, what completely sane woman would have him?

He thought about his match against Daniel Bryan this past Smackdown and had to admit to himself she was a distraction. He should have had no trouble annihilating Bryan but he had a hard time concentrating on the match. He had kept wanting to look at her, his thoughts kept turning to her and how very near she was. Bryan had almost won the match but she cleverly fooled him and Kane had claimed victory.

Was she making him lose his edge? Perhaps, but he didn't care. Up till now, his only source of pleasure had been eviscerating people. Now, A.J., the most unlikely of creatures, made him smile.

The question now was how was he going to get her?

He was no Casanova. The only way he had ever tried to woo a woman was by kidnapping and trying to torture her into liking him. He was never very successful and he didn't think that would work this time either. He couldn't explain why but she wasn't terrified by him and he didn't want her to be. He liked the way her eyes met his without fear, as if…

...as if he were a man instead of a monster.

Almost by its own volition, his hand rose and he touched his mask. His shield and his prison both. His fingers curled viciously, nails scraping the mask.

He hated it.

He couldn't live without it.

How could he compete with the likes of C.M. Punk, and his smooth, unscarred skin? Punk had a face women found attractive. When Punk spoke, people hung on his words and cheered as if he were the second coming of the messiah.

Kane had never been a man of many words. He preferred to let his actions speak for him and in any case, his darkest thoughts uttered aloud would have driven most normal people insane.

He had tried to force Daniel Bryan to reveal a way into A.J.'s favor but the fool had merely squealed "flowers!" at him, which wasn't much help.

He vaguely understood that mortal women liked flowers, though he didn't know why. He had tried to look for Hemlock or Deadly Nightshade, at least those were _useful_ flowers but they seemed to be in short supply at the florists.

When he found out he had pounded his fists on the counter so hard the carefully arranged bouquet displays jumped and shattered on the floor.

"Why do you not carry what I seek?" he demanded of the cowering florist behind the counter.

"S-sir, I'm s-s-sorry!" The small, bespectacled man had stammered. "But t-those are just not plants t-traditionally used in floral arrangements!"

Kane glared balefully at the little man, wondering to himself if perhaps A.J. might not prefer to have this mewling worm's dripping heart as a gift instead. Hearts signified love, didn't they?

The man must have seen his life's end in Kane's eyes. He hastily asked, "Can I ask, w-w-what the flowers are for?"

"A woman."

The florist gulped, not wanting to imagine what kind of woman this creature was trying to court. "Then, m-might I suggest..r-r-roses?"

Kane paused, roses. He remembered when he was very young, planting roses on the graves of his parents, very particular roses. Yes, roses might do.

"Black" he ordered.

"Uh,b-b-black roses? "The florist stammered, "I'll have to special order them, "

Kane growled.

"I'll have them ready for you by tomorrow morning!" the florist yelped quickly, praying that it would be true.

Kane had placed a rose in A.J.'s locker every morning for the last four days and then hidden himself nearby, waiting for her to discover them. At first she seemed puzzled, then pleased, but she always kept the flowers hidden from sight in her locker. He was perplexed; in his limited experience women had seemed eager to display flowers. Did that mean she didn't like them? This didn't seem to be working. There had to be something else he could do.

He became a silent shadow, stalking her wherever she went. He could be quite stealthy when he wanted to be. He had long practice hiding in the shadows. He watched her go about her daily routine, eating, working out, and sometimes even sleeping.

Then there were the times he saw her with C.M. Punk and more often than not, he lost control, rage flooding his brain until he had to leave and smash something.

C.M. Punk, that stack of hair and eyeballs. Kane wondered darkly if she would think his face was so pretty if he were missing all of his teeth.

But as he spied on her he slowly became aware of something. There was something she seemed to like even more than C.M. Punk himself, a thing Kane could take from Punk and make his own.

The belt.

A.J. seemed to have a fascination with the WWE Championship belt, she was always admiring it, holding it, polishing it. He knew a lot of women were drawn to power and holding the WWE Title meant power.

He knew then what it would take. He would win the WWE title and with it, her heart. .

Monday Night Raw

A.J. propped her chin in her hand and tried her best to look interested in what C.M. Punk was saying. She found that if she concentrated on a point right between his eyebrows and nodded every few minutes he seemed to be satisfied that she was listening, and would rattle on for 30 minutes at a time without her having to say a single word.

She found her thoughts wandering to the flowers she'd gotten every day without fail since Friday. Each morning, a single perfect black rose would appear in her locker but no one ever saw anyone placing it in there.

She guessed it was Kane and she thought it was kind of sweet. Some of the other divas had warned her that getting black roses wasn't necessarily a good thing but she knew it was just his way of trying to reach out to her. Like a cat who proudly presented its owner with a dead rodent, this was his way of saying "I like you!"

She had waited and waited for him to approach her but he seemed to be as shy as he was evil. She'd thought she'd caught a glimpse of him several times over the weekend, a red and black shadow that she'd see out of the corner of her eye but would disappear when she turned her head. OK, so he was kind of stalkery too, but a hell demon probably never learned how to talk to girls so she could give him a pass.

"A.J.?"

She snapped out of her daydream and brought C.M. Punk's face back into focus. He was looking at her expectantly, eyebrows raised. He did have really pretty eyes, greenish-grey with a ring of hazel around the pupils. Too bad he was in desperate need of an eyebrow wax.

"Um, huh?" she said.

"You haven't heard a word I said, have you?" he demanded.

She flashed him a dazzling smile, "Of course I have! Don't be silly. And I totally agree with what you just said!"

Punk looked at her skeptically, "You agree that Daniel Bryan and I should have a loser gets tarred and feathered and ridden out of town match?"

She faltered, "Uh, well, I don't think you would lose!"

He leaned back, crossed his arms and shook his head at her, "Honey, why don't you just tell me what's really on your mind?"

She but her lip, "Well….I was thinking, maybe I should go and talk to Kane? You know, he is part of the Money in the Bank Match coming up and I think it's a good idea to feel him out and see what he's going to do."

Punk was shaking his head, "A.J., that's real sweet of you but I think you've done enough. I can handle Kane when and_ if _he even wins the Money in the Bank match and then tries to cash it out on me. "

"I just want to help!"

"A.J.," Punk said patiently, "I kinda care about you and I just don't want it ending with him carrying you off to the top of some skyscraper while planes shoot at his head. OK?"

"You know," she said irritably, "You keep saying things like that about him, but I don't think he would hurt me. I can see he's not really a monster. He has a heart."

"Yeah, he does!" Punk nodded and waved his arms, "A whole collection of them in glass jars back in his dungeon or wherever demons from hell live. You wanna add yours to it?"

A.J. blinked her eyes and swallowed, letting her bottom lip quiver ever so slightly. She thought about baby seals getting clubbed over the head, puppies being drowned, kittens getting thrown into blenders. Tears came, flooded her eyes, spilled over her cheeks.

Punk's expression changed to dismay, "Ah, c'mon, don't…don't cry…"

She let him enfold her in his arms and pat her back comfortingly. "I…I just wanted to help." She sobbed.

"OK, OK, OK," Punk said, "I won't stop you, just as long as you are VERY, VERY careful, OK?"

Her tears dried up like instantly, like a faucet had been turned off. She dried her eyes, gave him a wide, sunny smile, a kiss on the cheek and bounced happily away

Punk shook his head, what was it with him and these nutty chicks?

When she found him Kane was pacing back and forth at the end of a dimly lit hallway.

"Kane?"

He froze, turned. She clasped her hands and looked up, up, up at him. "Hi, I just wanted to thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful."

He nodded, "You're welcome." His eyes were fixed on hers. They were still odd and mismatched, one dark and bottomless, the other a pale, almost colorless blue. But today they somehow didn't look quite so freakish to her.

She hesitated before she spoke. Her nerves were strung as tight as a guitar string, she felt light headed with adrenaline.

"Kane, I know that things have been strange between us for the last few weeks. You probably think I'm crazy but I thought it would be a good idea for us to just talk, and I'm so glad you're here. "

He was silent for a long time, staring at her with that peculiar tilt of the head that he did. She could hear him breathing, rapid and heavy. That damn mask! All she could see were his eyes and his mouth. Between it and the long, dark hair hanging in his face she couldn't read his expression at all. She couldn't tell if he was interested or bored or angry .

He slowly reached out and touched her face with the fingers of his left hand. She steeled her nerve and didn't flinch away, instead turning her cheek into his caress. His touch left trails of heat on her skin, cold fire burned her lips when his thumb brushed lightly against them. Then, with great reluctance, he pulled his hand back.

"A.J." he said, in the slow, gravelly voice of a man who didn't do much talking "I will admit I've felt…things that I've never felt before. But I'm not good at discussing my….feelings. Right now, my only focus is to win the WWE Title. After that…we can…talk."

He turned and began to walk away. She reached out and grabbed him by the hand.

"Wait!"

He halted his body stiffening. She could see the muscles in his biceps twitch with tension. He inclined his head, looking at her from the corner of his eye, as if he couldn't bear to look directly at her. She stood up on tiptoe, pulled his head down and put her lips close to his ear.

"Keep that promise, Kane" she whispered urgently," Win that title. I'll be waiting for you."

He nodded, pulled his hand from hers and then he was gone.

She collapsed against the wall, holding one hand over her racing heart and the other to her burning face.

It was easy to toy with men. A smile, a pout, a come-hither look. They fell into her hands like putty. Weren't the last few weeks proof of how easily she influenced them? Punk, Bryan, Kane, she had played them all. She was expert at the game, playing not for love, but to keep herself in the spotlight as the top Diva in WWE and it was working.

Except now, she no longer knew if she was playing the game or if the game was playing her.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Smackdown

Daniel Bryan was pissed.

He was pissed at the world.

He was pissed at WWE.

He was pissed at that big, dumb idiot Kane.

He was pissed at that greasy, no talent, bag of wind C.M. Punk who was currently prancing around with HIS title belt.

But most of all he was pissed at her.

A.J.

It was all her fault. Her fault he no longer was the champion, her fault he was losing matches. All of it was her fault.

And he was going to make her pay. Starting tonight.

A.J. was in the building. She had a non-title match against Layla on tonight's Smackdown show and for once, neither C.M. Punk nor that genetic mutation Kane were in attendance. She was all alone and at his mercy.

She was never going to make a fool of him again.

A.J. peeked out of the arena entrance nervously chewing her lip. She was in the first match of the night against Layla and she really wished she had someone here tonight to root her on.

C.M. Punk had planned to be there but a family emergency made it necessary for him to fly home at the last minute. She had to admit, she missed him a little. He might be condescending and tiresome at times, there were sometimes conversations between the two of them that ended without her having the faintest idea of what they were talking about, but he could also be a lot of fun and he made her laugh like no one else could.

She really did like him and could see a long term relationship in their future. They fit well together, complemented each other and together, they could be the power couple that ruled the WWE for a very long time.

But then, there was Kane.

Just thinking about him sent chills up and down her spine. Problem was she had been thinking about him almost constantly for the last four days.

Why on earth had she told him to win the WWE title?

She wanted Punk to keep the title…didn't she?

She gave herself a shake. Of course she did!

So why did she keep thinking about a man who, by all accounts, was even more mentally disturbed than she was?

Well, she did have a little thing for bad boys, who didn't? And of course, no one was badder than Kane. And there was definitely something 'Phantom of the Opera' sexy about him, what with his mask, and his brooding silence and penchant for hanging out alone in the bowels of the building.

OK, so what? She was still supposed to be thinking with her head, not her hormones…or her heart.

She really had to get her head on straight. Maybe Punk was right. It was time to leave Kane alone, put some distance between herself and him. After all, she had C.M. Punk, and he was all she could ever want.

Wasn't he?

Her match with Layla started out well. They shook hands amicably and threw themselves into the bout. A.J. was particularly eager to try a few new moves Punk had shown her. She wanted to be taken seriously in the WWE, not just be perpetual eye candy. She may not be as big or strong as, say, Beth Phoenix, but she was proud that, when it came down to it, she could usually hold her own against the other Divas.

She was doing well, even scoring a couple of near falls and was pretty confident that she was going to win the match. She nailed a spinning back round kick which sent Layla reeling and was going to go for the pin when very familiar music started to play.

What the hell-?

Ride of the Valkyrie.

She watched, mouth open as Daniel Bryan came hopping down the ramp like a spaz, yelling "YES! YES! YES!"

What did he think he was doing?

He came down the ramp doing his stupid chant and started prancing around the ring. "YES! YES! YES!"

Now the crowd was getting into it and yelling with him! They were making more noise at his idiotic antics than they had been during her match. That scuzzbag!

She was so angry that she had momentarily forgotten all about Layla. Layla took advantage of the situation by knocking her to the mat, grabbing the back of her shorts and rolling her up for the pin.

1-2-3!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A.J. kicked out and rolled to her feet, looking around in shock. She lost?

Layla was strutting around, celebrating her win as if she'd actually done something.

Bryan was grinning at her and the crowd was still chanting "YES! YES! YES!"

A.J. screamed in anger and jumped Layla from behind, punching her in the head. The referee had to forcibly pull her off the other Diva.

"Crazy bitch!" Layla yelled at her as she stumbled to the ropes and rolled out of the ring. She grabbed the Diva's title belt and stalked up the ramp. She got her win and she was done for the night.

"A.J., A.J!" Bryan said with a huge, mocking smile on his scummy little face. "Calm down."

A.J. glared at him, wishing he would die.

He climbed into the ring, "It isn't so fun when someone distracts you in the middle of a match, is it? But unlike you, I'm not here for attention. I have something very important to discuss."

"What? What can you have to say that's so important?" A.J. demanded.

He gave her a smug look,"I'm not here to discuss it with you. I'm here to talk to Vickie, but I think it's something you need to hear. In fact," He said, turning to address the jumbo tron,"I think it's something EVERYONE needs to hear and I'm not leaving the ring until I get what I want! I will hold this show hostage if I have to! YES! YES! YES!"

The crowd again picked up the chant, "YES! YES! YES!"

A.J. wanted to claw his smug eyes out of his head. How had she ever loved this cretin? He was laughing at her! And he was shouting that STUPID chant at her again.

"YES! YES! YES!"

Two could play at this game, "YES!" she shouted back, practically screaming in his face, "YES! YES! YES!"

Bryan shoved his face even closer to hers, trying to drown out her voice, "YES! YES! YES!"

"EXCUSE ME!"

They both broke off yelling at each other to see Vickie coming down to the ring.

"EXCUSE ME!" she shouted again in the screechy voice that was worse than nails on a chalkboard.

"I don't know what you want, Daniel Bryan, but these people are getting sick of you repeating the same annoying catchphrase!" The audience jeered and hooted.

Bryan held up his hand, trying to placate Vickie, "I was trying to make a point. I defeated _both_ C.M. Punk and Kane in the same match on Raw. I am the number one contender to the WWE Championship. Everything revolves around ME!"

"So, what's your point?" Vickie demanded.

"I want you to tell the Board of Directors that I want her" he pointed at A.J. "banned from ringside at Money in the Bank! She is a liability. She's unstable. I refuse to lose my opportunity because of her!"

A.J. crossed her arms and glared at him.

Vickie seemed to be considering what he said, "You know, Daniel, it's interesting that you bring this up. I don't know if you were aware but this last week we ran a fan poll on to see just what A.J.'s role should be at Money in the Bank."

Bryan obviously did not know this. As he stared at Vickie he had a feeling he would not like what he was about to hear.

Vickie held her mic up to her mouth and said loud and clear, "and the fans have spoken! A.J. will be the guest referee for the WWE title match at Money in the Bank!"

The crowd roared. A.J. laughed and gave Bryan her sweetest smile. She pointed her fingers at the ceiling, "YES! YES! YESS!" she shouted as she bounced out of the ring.

Bryan stood there for a moment, frozen in disbelief. He brought his mic up and shouted "NO! NO! NO!"

A.J. winked and waved at him before disappearing backstage.

A.J. spun around and hugged herself in glee. Oh, the look on Bryan's face! He looked as if he could _die_! This was so perfect! She wondered if Punk had been watching the show on TV. She hoped so. Punk would keep the title and she would be at his side. Eventually she would win the Diva's title and they would be like….like the king and queen of the prom!

She bumped into someone and almost tripped but for a strong hand that caught her by the upper arm.

"Whoa lass, careful!" Sheamus said as he steadied her.

She gave him a wide smile, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said.

Sheamus nodded and patted her on the head indulgently before heading toward the arena entrance for his match.

A.J. giggled. Poor Sheamus, she knew he thought she was genuinely crazy but he seemed to be a nice enough guy. Too bad he was cursed with that orange hair and pasty complexion. The tiny little trunks weren't doing him any favors either. Someone should tell him that giant, milky white thighs were just _not _attractive.

She started toward the women's lockeroom.

"Guest referee, Guest referee!" she sang, she loved it! She could see it now, C.M Punk as the WWE Champion, her as the Diva's Champion. They would be the shining stars of the WWE and everyone would love them!

"Uhm ,A.J.?"

She spun around and saw Daniel Bryan standing there with a contrite expression on his face. She composed her expression and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

He cleared his throat, "Look, A.J., I'm sorry I distracted you and cost you the match. I'm just looking out for your best interests."

She raised her eyebrows and stared at him silently, wondering why she had never noticed before just how much he looked like a weasel.

"Anyway," Bryan continued, "I have a doctor friend who might be able to help you. Friends try to help each other and I'd like to think we are still friends."

A.J. pinched her lips together and gave him a skeptical look.

"Well," Bryan finally said, "Can I give you his number?"

A.J. reached out and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. She pulled his face down until they were nose to nose. She looked deep into his eyes.

"Yes, "she said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

She laughed crazily, let him go and skipped away.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Monday Night Raw

Kane stood patiently in a deep doorway across from the talent entrance at the arena waiting for A.J. to arrive. From his vantage point he could see every wrestler as he or she arrived at the arena for the show tonight. No one could see him, although more than a few felt an unusual chill as they walked by.

As unconventional as it was for him, he had decided he needed to speak with A.J. after all and let her know his intentions.

The decision hadn't come easily. He was more wont to let his fists, rather than his mouth, do his talking but after the agony of constantly seeing her with C.M. Punk the last week he'd finally decided he had to speak with her again and if it meant discussing his 'feelings' with her, then so be it.

There she was. He waited a moment, wanting to look at her without reservation. Her dark eyes glowed with their own inner light, her hair swirled around her small, delicate face like a soft cloud. His eye traced the smooth curve of her neck down to where it met her collar bone and he could sense the life that pulsed there.

As she came closer he stepped out of the shadows, blocking her way.

"A.J."

She halted, startled.

"A.J., I wanted to ask if you... "He paused, looking at her with consternation. Something was wrong. There was something different about her. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Uh, hi Kane, "she said, her eyes bouncing up briefly to meet his, then darting nervously away. She fiddled with hair, wrapping a strand of it around and around her finger. Every line of her body screamed that she didn't want to to talk to him.

He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped.

He was confused by her sudden coolness. He had never been a smooth speaker and in the face of her detachment his words choked in his throat and he couldn't get them out.

She waited a few more seconds and when he remained silent, she spoke.

"Uhm, I'm sorry, but I'm late. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later, k?"

She squeeze around him and hurried down the hall.

He turned and watched her go and felt a heavy weight settle in his chest. Had it all been a dream?

A.J. forced herself to walk away without looking back. She knew he was still watching her. She could feel his eyes burning into her back. Every fiber of her being wanted to turn around, run back to him and jump into his arms but she shoved that feeling away, she had to be strong. No matter what she felt, he wasn't right for her.

She glanced back. He was gone.

She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to compose herself.

Had she done the right thing? She had done her best to look impatient and annoyed and she could feel the horrible waves of confusion coming off of him. She felt awful that she'd probably hurt his feeling. How long had it taken him to decide to finally talk to her and she rebuffed him?

Why did there have to be such an intensity that surrounded him? He gave off the air that everything he did was deadly serious, the result of fervid thought and that once he made a decision he would follow through with it to his grave. She wasn't used to it and she found it overwhelming. Most of the men she'd known had been such insincere weasels, always saying one thing and doing another.

"A.J.!" she looked up at the sound of her name and scowled. Well, speak of the weasel, it was Daniel Bryan.

"A.J., I'm glad I found you, "he said. He had one of his hands behind his back.

"What do you want, Daniel?" She asked impatiently.

"I just wanted to talk to you. I wanted to tell you that I care about you. I've always cared about you. I've just been so frustrated with myself for the way I messed things up between us. I wanted to say, I'm sorry."

He brought his hand out from behind his back and handed her a rose.

She took it and looked at him in disbelief. Did he really think she was that stupid?

Before she could reply, she felt someone standing behind her. She turned and saw C.M. Punk, arms crossed and smirking at Bryan.

"Now, this wouldn't have anything to do with A.J. being the special guest referee for our WWE Title match, would it Bryan?" he asked.

Bryan scowled at him, "Shut up Punk, this is between A.J and me."

Punk reached out and casually put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, glad he was there to offer support.

"You don't care about me, Daniel." She told him, "You never have. I can't wait to win my match tonight and run into the arms of my soul mate." She looked up at Punk, who smiled down at her.

She bit the rose off the stem and spit it at Bryan. It hit him in the chest, followed by the stem which she threw at him. She gave him a dirty look and walked off with Punk.

Her tag team partner had skin the color of vanilla ice cream.

It was a shame really, because he actually had a nice face, kind of rabbity, but nice and not to mention HUGE biceps. But his hair and beard were orange and he looked like he slept in a coffin during all day long, eschewing the light of the sun.

She made a mental note to get Sheamus a gift basket of self tanning crèmes for Christmas.

They were facing Dolph Diggler and Vickie Guerrero tonight in an impromptu mixed tag match that had just been announced earlier in the show. She didn't mind, in fact she was kind of excited. She welcomed the chance to be in an actual match and maybe it would make Punk take her more seriously and stop treating her like a little girl if he could just see what she could do.

Sheamus was giving her last minute pointers with all the concern of a big brother.

"Make sure you keep an eye on Ziggler when you're near their corner. He's not supposed to touch you but he'll try to get a shot in to help Vickie when the ref's not looking. Don't worry about the rest; I'll take care of you."

She gave him a smile, "Don't worry, "she assured him, "I won't let you down."

"Perish the thought, lass," he said and laughed.

The majority of the match was fought between Sheamus and Ziggler. The two men went at it as if they wanted to rip each other's heads off. She almost felt like a spectator as she watched them go back and forth, trading punches, kicks and clotheslines. She could hear Vickie screeching from the other side of the ring and wished someone would gag the bitch.

Ziggler hit Sheamus with a tornado DDT and climbed to the top rope. Sheamus stumbled to his feet, seemingly disoriented but he recovered just as Ziggler leaped and knocked him out of the air with a hard blow to the solar plexus. Ziggler doubled over, holding his gut in pain. Sheamus scooped Ziggler up and draped him over his shoulders. Ziggler squirmed, trying to get free but Sheamus had him. Sheamus paused a moment to play up to the cheering crowd, then slammed Ziggler down in the White Noise. Normally, he might have pinned Ziggler right there, but he wasn't done with him quite yet.

A.J. jumped up and down as her partner poised himself, waiting for Ziggler to get to his feet and turn around. She gripped the turnbuckle cover with excitement. Sheamus was going for the Brogue Kick! But before he could land it, Ziggler lunged to his corner and tagged Vickie in. Vickie stepped in screeching, "You can't touch me! You have to tag A.J. in!"

Sheamus looked at Ziggler in disgust and reluctantly tagged A.J.

"Coward, "she heard him growl as he stepped through the ropes back onto the apron.

She bounced into the ring, eager to have her chance in the match. Vickie was trying to circle her, a snarl on her bucktoothed face. This was going to be easy. A.J. feinted and then kicked Vickie in the stomach doubling her over. She followed it up with a perfect Shining Wizard Kick which sent Vickie to the mat. She covered Vickie and got the 3- count. She rolled to her feet. They'd won!

"Yeah!" Sheamus shouted and jumped back into the ring. He grabbed her hand and raised it in victory and banged on his own chest with his fist. The crowd was cheering and she couldn't stop smiling. She pointed a finger at the ceiling, "YES! YES! YES!" she yelled, mocking that twerp Daniel Bryan.

She was so happy. But where was Punk? She didn't see him anywhere. She slid out of the ring and ran up the ramp, halfway expecting him to be waiting for her at the backstage entrance with a big grin and arms wide open for a congratulatory hug. He wasn't there.

She ran through the backstage area looking for him.

"Have you seen Punk?" She excitedly asked everyone she came upon but no one had.

She searched everywhere, but couldn't find him. Where was he? She was starting to get ticked off that he never seemed to be around when she was in a match. He was cute but cute only got you so far. He was going to have to start stepping up his game!

She rounded a corner and smacked right into Kane.

She had come around the corner so fast that she ran into him and bounced off. He didn't budge; it was like running into an oak tree. He caught her by the arms and held her, his eyes blazing down at her through his mask.

She looked up at his face caught completely off-guard. Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest and she was positive he could feel it the same way she could feel his.

The words she had said to Daniel Bryan earlier that night came back to her.

_I can't wait to win my match tonight and run into the arms of my soul mate._

They stood there, frozen for what seemed like an eternity, though it could only have been five seconds at the most.

He lowered his gaze to her lips and her breath stopped. Was he going to kiss her?

C.M. Punk vanished from her mind. Daniel Bryan, her carefully laid plans, the title belts, the WWE, the entire world itself disappeared and all that was left was him and her and the kiss she so desperately wanted.

_Kiss me, s_he thought. _Kiss me and I'll leave everything behind. Nothing else will matter._

She closed her eyes, tilted her face up to him.

The kiss never came.

Her eyes popped open as he firmly pushed her away from him, turned and walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Smackdown

She was driving him crazy.

Not just your average, garden variety crazy, but pull your hair out, hit yourself over the head with a hammer, get strapped into a straitjacket C-R-A-Z-Y!

It had been four days, (count 'em - 4!) since he'd accidently missed seeing her mixed tag team match with Sheamus against Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero and she was still angry with him.

He'd looked for her everywhere after the show and finally found her hiding in a janitor's closet, shaking and crying her eyes out. She wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't even look at him and it wasn't until he learned from the other wrestlers how upset she had been when she couldn't find him after her match, that he even knew what was wrong.

He thought that if he apologized and treated her extra specially for a few days she would forgive him but that hadn't been the case. In fact, as the days passed, she seemed to be getting progressively more and more angry with him.

"Look, Babe, I said I was sorry." C.M. Punk pleaded for the millionth time, "How much longer are you going to give me the silent treatment?"

A.J. crossed her arms, pressed her lips together tightly and refused to look at him. She wanted to be angry with him. She didn't want to give in, especially when he looked at her with those adorable puppy dog eyes.

"I told you," he continued doggedly, "I was on the phone with my sister. It was an important call. I didn't even know you had a last minute match!"

Oh, screw it, she thought.

"That's my point!" She finally burst out, "You never know anything. You never pay any attention to me! It's like, unless it's about YOU, you never care! You don't care about me!"

OK, she was finally talking to him, that was some kind of progress, at least.

Punk rubbed his temples, "You know that's not true, A.J. I care about you a lot. I made a mistake. I know that. How much longer do I have to pay for it?"

"Until I don't feel like crap anymore!" She shot back.

Punk closed his eyes wearily."A.J. you know I'd do anything to make that happen. But I don't know what you want from me. I have a huge Pay per View title match coming up in less than two days against your ex boyfriend. Then I'm probably going to have to defend my title against whichever vulture wins the Money in the Bank match. So please, _please, _tell me what to do to make you forgive me that I didn't know you had a match that wasn't even announced until a half hour before it started!"

"You don't have anything to worry about in your title match, "A.J. shot back, "Did you forget I'm the special guest referee? Do you really think I'm gonna let that jerk Daniel Bryan win?"

Punk threw up his hands, "I don't know from one day to the next what you're going to do!" He yelled. "Being with you is like being on a bi-polar roller coaster! You're nuts!"

He stomped to the window and threw open the curtains, fuming as he stared out at the cloudy sky. There was nothing but silence behind him. After a while he turned to see her slumped dejectedly on the couch, tears glinting in her eyes. Oh no, not again. He couldn't stand it when chicks cried.

"A.J. I didn't mean-"

She cut him off, "No, you did. Don't take it back. You think I'm nuts, join the club. Poor, crazy A.J. I'm so sorry you have to put up with me. "

"A.J." He tried to hug her but she jerked away from him and stood up.

"I'm not crazy, Punk. I'm not. It's your fault, all your fault I feel this way and unless you can turn back time you can't change it. If you'd only been there for me after the match like you were supposed to, then I wouldn't have-"she stopped abruptly, her face reddening.

"You wouldn't have what?" He asked.

"Nothing," she said dully, "I have an interview to do. Maybe you can find time to watch it if that's not asking too much. "

She walked out of the room leaving C.M. Punk to wonder who was really crazier, her or him for putting up with her.

Slimy, smarmy, blech.

Those were the words that came to mind as she stood in the ring being interviewed by Michael Cole. Everything about the man repulsed her from his icky used car salesman smile, to the way he kept standing just a tad too close to her, to his ratty little eyes that kept looking at every part of her _except_ her face.

"So, A.J.," he said with a big fake smile, "Maybe you can explain to everyone how you're going to be able to be an impartial referee for the WWE Title match at Money in the Bank?" He shoved the microphone in her face.

"Well, Michael," she said, "A lot of people have asked me that same question and all I can say is, I will do my best to call a straight match, right down the line."

Cole made and exaggerated expression of surprise. "But how are you going to do that when the match is between C.M. Punk and your former boyfriend, Daniel Bryan? I think it's obvious to all of us you are going to have a bias in favor of Punk."

She shook her head, "You think you know me, Michael, everyone thinks they know me. But no one really knows me. But you'll see, I'm going to do what's right at Money in the Bank."

Cole looked at her skeptically, "A.J. I'm going to be honest with you. The Board of Directors made a mistake when they made you special guest referee. You're not qualified to judge a match; you're just a little girl, a troubled teenager. You're playing games with Punk and Daniel Bryan."

A.J. stepped away from him, "What are you getting at, Michael?" she demanded.

He sidled up to her again, "What I'm trying to say is that maybe you need a real man to show you the ropes. Someone mature and able to handle you. Someone like…me?" he leered at her.

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him.

Ugh, really? Gross! She'd rather make out with Santino!

"Ew!" she said in disgust.

Cole scowled, he opened his mouth but was cut off by another voice.

"Cole, you sure do have a big mouth when you're talking to a girl half your size. You're nothing but a bully!"

They both looked to the top of the ramp where Daniel Bryan stood. He came down the ramp, got into the ring and advanced menacingly on Cole. Cole put his hands up in surrender as he was backed up against the ring ropes.

"I am not going to allow you to talk to A.J. that way," Bryan said. He turned to her with the fakest sincere expression she had ever seen, "I know you're going to do a great job at Money in the Bank. You are a very special person, A.J. I know we've had problems but I forgive you for everything, and I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Before she could respond, the arena speakers blared music, this time 'Cult of Personality', as C.M. Punk appeared at the top of the ramp.

"Whoa!" He said, "Whoa, Whoa!"

A.J. watched him as he came down the ramp. Well, at least he had cared enough to show up at her interview. She felt kind of bad for the fight they'd had. She'd been wound so tight since Monday Night when Kane had walked away leaving her vulnerable, hanging and completely confused. What did he want? What did she want?

She didn't have a clue.

Punk climbed into the ring and ran his hand across his slicked back hair. She still hadn't figure out what he put into it that it never seemed to move. Maybe industrial glue?

"First of all," he said addressing Michael Cole, "you little slimy worm, I think you need to leave, like now."

Faced with both C.M. Punk and Daniel Bryan, Cole scurried out of the ring like the cockroach he was, but not before he made a telephone gesture at her with his thumb and pinky.

_Call me _he mouthed with a wink.

She almost threw up in her mouth.

Punk turned to Bryan. "Now, I'm going to blunt and honest, because, unlike you, I'm not going to suck up to A.J. just because she is the special guest referee for our match."

A.J. tilted her head as she looked at him. Party Pooper, a little sucking up never hurt.

"In fact," he continued, "I'm a little worried about her because I don't think she's in a good place mentally. She's a sweet girl and I-"

"That's garbage!" Bryan shouted, interrupting Punk like the rude little troll he was. "You only act like you care for A.J. I'm the one who really cares about her! You're just playing her because she is the special referee for the match at Money in the Bank."

"Shut your mouth Bryan" Punk retorted. " You don't know anything about me, especially how I feel about A.J."

Just how did he feel about her? A.J. wondered. For all she knew, he might just be using her, but wasn't she kind of doing the same thing to him?

"I don't care how you feel about her, "Bryan said, "All I care about is A.J. We have a history together and I think if she can just find it in her heart to forgive me, we can have a future together as well."

Then, for the first time in she couldn't remember how long, he completely shocked her. He dropped to his knees at her feet. "C'mon, baby. I never stopped having feelings for you. I want to marry you. I will marry you, right now if that's what you want." He looked at her with as earnest an expression as she had ever seen on his face.

Oh…my…god….

A.J. struggled to keep from laughing in his face. Was this really happening?

"No, she won't!" Punk said, "She doesn't need this. She needs help. Professional help. Even you were right when you said that!"

Bryan jumped to his feet, a picture of outrage "Don't talk that way about my future fiancée!"

Punk dropped his mic, Bryan did the same and they started toward each other.

Alrighty, this had gone far enough.

A.J. pushed between them and stopped them. She looked up at Punk, then turned to Bryan and kissed him.

When she pulled away, Bryan was grinning like Cheshire cat. Punk looked at her, his expression stunned, mixed with pity and disappointment. He shook his head and started to walk out of the ring.

She ran after him, grabbed his hand and kissed him as well.

He let her kiss him for a second before pulling away. "What kind of game do you think you're playing?" he demanded.

She laughed and jumped out of the ring, skipping up the ramp. At the top she turned and gave both men a bright, shiny hard smile.

She raised a fist into the air and pumped it. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" she said.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Money in the Bank

Kane paced the empty locker room before the Money in the Bank ladder match breathing hard, his fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically. Those who stepped in the locker room took one look at him and wisely stepped back out. News spread like wildfire among the wrestlers and arena staff to steer clear of Kane for he had murder in his eyes tonight.

All of the strange, conflicting emotions of the last few weeks had built into one that was very familiar to him, rage. Rage at A.J., rage at C.M. Punk and Daniel Bryan, rage at himself for what he did not have, nor ever could be.

What folly had led him to believe he could be loved?

He was a monster. He wore a mask. He thrived off the pain and suffering of others.

How could he love anyone? How could anyone love him?

It would never change.

He would lay waste to the arena. He could not make her love him but he could make her feel the same pain and despair he did when he took the one she loved. Whether Punk or Bryan, whoever she chose, he would bathe in their blood tonight.

He was a soulless monster meant to be feared, not loved and he would prove it.

The wrestling fans in attendance that night would later describe the event as one of the most memorable and brutal nights in all of wrestling's modern age. News sources the next morning would say that so much blood had been shed the first three rows should have been designated as a 'splash zone'. Generations later, the children currently in the audience, telling the tale to their grandchildren, would pin point this night as the night they became utterly sure that professional wrestling was 100% real. This was the night they saw the Kane as he was meant to be.

Never before had the Money in the Bank Ladder match for the WWE Championship contract been so anticipated, nor so one-sided. The carnage was legendary as Kane plowed through the other competitors like a demon possessed. He sent both John Cena and Chris Jericho bloody and battered from the arena in ambulances. Big Show survived partly because of his great size, he was practically the only wrestler in the WWE bigger than Kane, and partly because Kane knocked him unconscious within the first 30 seconds, rendering him pretty much out of the match and out of mind.

Seven minutes and forty-nine seconds into the match, Kane climbed the ladder and claimed the Money in the Bank contract. He leaped down and without even waiting for the referee to announce his win he took the briefcase and stalked backstage.

The medics heading to the ring to tend to Cena and Jericho scrambled to clear out of his path. Stagehands and production crew were warned to get out of sight. Kane was like a shark who had tasted blood and gone into a frenzy.

He walked backstage, knocking over everything that got in his way. The match had done little to quell his bloodlust, in fact had only served to inflame it. He needed something to destroy. He should burn the entire building, raze it to the ground with everything and everyone inside. And even that didn't seem like it would be enough.

His nostrils flared.

He smelled her before he saw her. Her perfume, the scent of her hair.

A.J.

She stood silhouetted in the door of the women's locker room, the light behind her illuminating her like a fallen angel. She was dressed in the black and white shirt of a referee and he couldn't help but to gaze at her, drinking in the sight of her like a parched man drinks wine. He felt his anger ebb, dissolve into an unbearable ache. He wanted to rip out his own heart to stop whatever this was he was feeling. Maybe he should just kidnap her, take her, hide her away from the world. Better to have her hate him than never have her at all.

She didn't speak but the expression on her face as she watched him made him stop. He read in her face all the turmoil he felt in his heart, the emotion as pure and naked on her as it felt sordid and wrong on him.

She looked at him steadily, and then her gaze dropped down to his bloody hands and the Money in the Bank briefcase he was holding. She studied it for a long moment before she looked up at him again…

…and slowly smiled.

The WWE championship match had to be delayed by an hour to allow time for medical personnel to tend to Big Show, stretcher Cena and Jericho away to the waiting ambulances and to have the blood scrubbed off of the ring. By the time the match started, Kane had disappeared, no one was brave or foolish enough to see where he had gone.

A.J. in her referee garb skipped out to the ring, waving cheerily at the audience.

As the challenger, Bryan was introduced first. He came hopping down the ramp, YES!-ing his way to the ring. She really hoped he'd think of a new catchphrase, and soon. He slid into the ring, reached into his jacket and pulled out a rose which he presented to her. She smiled, took it and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He looked pleased.

The Champion was introduced next and it seemed that C.M. Punk was out and down the ramp even before his music started. He got into the ring grimly, purposefully and only sought to meet her eyes briefly before taking the belt off and holding it up for everyone to see.

As the bell rang Bryan wasted no time in dropping Punk with a shoulder block. Punk countered with an arm drag and threw Bryan into the corner. The crowd "WHHOOO'd" as Punk hit Bryan with a series of savage chops to the chest, then lifted him up into a suplex that sent him crashing to the mat.

A.J. slid to the canvas, checking to see if Bryan's shoulders were touching the mat before counting

1!-2!

Bryan kicked out and A.J. held up two fingers, confirming the pin hadn't been made.

Punk Irish Whipped Bryan into the ropes and then ran over him with a clothesline. He waited for Bryan to stagger to his feet before hitting him with a brutal looking neckbreaker.

1!-2!

Bryan kicked out of the pin.

A.J. seemed to be taking her role as special guest referee very seriously, adhering to her promise to call it straight down the middle. She kept a close eye on the fighters, and counted near falls with confident precision.

Then Punk made a crucial mistake as he attempted a bulldog, only to have Bryan counter by slipping under his arm and shoving him into the ropes. Punk stumbled to his knees and Bryan hit him like a ton of bricks, beating him down with hard, soccer style kicks to the chest. He finished with a kick square to Punk's head that sent him crashing to the mat. Bryan fell on his back, bent back one arm and cinched the yes lock on him.

Punk flailed his free arm trying desperately to reach a ring rope but Bryan had the foresight to apply the hold in the middle of the ring.

Punk's teeth were gritted in a rictus of pain as A.J. knelt beside him.

"Do you give up?" she yelled.

"NO!" Punk shouted, his face twisted in agony.

"Call it! Call it or I'll break his neck!" Bryan screamed at her

Her eyes darted from Punk to Bryan. Which one? Which one?

Bryan tightened the hold even more, pulling Punk's head back at an almost impossible angle.

"ARRRGGGG!" Punk groaned. His face was turning purple.

"Call it!" Bryan roared.

"NOOOOOO!" Punk bellowed back.

A.J. looked from Punk to Bryan. Who was she going to choose? Who would going to win this match?

She looked at Punk's tortured face. She looked at Bryan who honestly looked like he was doing his best to twist Punk's head off of his neck. The call was hers. She had the power to decide their fate.

She made her decision.

She jumped to her feet and signaled the time keeper to ring the bell.

It was over, Bryan had won.

Daniel Bryan jumped up in victory and grabbed the belt, holding it over his head. The crowd jeered with catcalls and boos as as Punk rolled to his feet looking at her in shock.

"Why did you do that? I didn't tap out." he said angrily. "I didn't tap out!"

She gave him a little smile and shrugged. "Sorry, "she said, "I just didn't think you deserved to win this match."

"Why?" Punk demanded "Why did you do this? Because you're mad at me? Because you think he wants to marry you?"

She laughed, "Maybe. Maybe I just, didn't want you to be the WWE Champion anymore."

"YES! YES! YES!" Bryan shouted, hopping around like a jackass.

A.J. grinned as she joined him, "YES! YES! YES!" she shouted in Punk's face.

Punk shook his head. "I feel sorry for you, "he told her in disgust. "You really are off the deep end. I hope you have a nice life A.J."

She followed him to the apron as he got out of the ring. "YES! YES! YES!" she yelled at his retreating back. He flipped her off without even turning to look back at her.

Bryan stopped jumping and shouting and looked at her with an annoyed expression.

"YES! YES! YE-"She slowly realized he had stopped yes-ing and tapered off to look at him. "What's wrong?"

Bryan looked at her, "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

She looked at him in surprise," I thought we were celebrating. Now that you're the WWE Champion, we can get married like you wanted!"

Bryan snorted laughter "What? You really think I'm going to marry you?"

Her face crumpled. She looked like she was near tears.

"Daniel!" she protested. "You told me you still loved me! You said you wanted to marry me!"

"A.J. You are so pathetic." he said. "Why would I want to marry you? You're not good enough for me. I am the WWE Champion. You are nothing but a crazy little slut. "

Her mouth dropped open in shocked outrage. Furious, she slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

The unexpected slap sent him reeling, his cheek bright red from where she'd struck him.

"You bitch!" he shouted and angrily shoved her across the ring, sending her flying into the ring post.

She hit hard and fell on her butt.

Suddenly, the lights dropped, red fire exploded as Kane's music hit. Bryan whirled around wildly, looking up the ramp for the Big Red Monster. He looked terrified and after the Money in the Bank ladder match, rightfully so.

The lights came back up. The ramp was empty. Kane was nowhere to be seen.

Bryan looked over at AJ. She was still in the corner where he'd shoved her but she pulled herself up to her knees.

She was smiling, no, _grinning_ at him. She gave him an little wave and mouthed a word.

_Goodbye._

_Oh… shit._

Bryan slowly turned around. Kane, all seven feet of fire and brimstone fueled fury, was standing right behind him.

He dropped the money in the bank briefcase at Bryan's feet and came down upon him like an avenging demon.

Bryan never even knew what hit him.

He suddenly found himself hoisted about 8 feet in the air by the throat before the canvas rushed up and slammed him into semi consciousness. Before he could even pass out he was yanked flailing off the mat. The world spun upside down, he caught a brief, inverted glimpse of A.J.'s smug expression, then his head slammed into the canvas and everything went black.

Kane dropped Bryan's limp body to the mat like a slab of meat. The tombstone pile driver had knocked him out cold.

He covered him with a contemptuous boot on the chest and A.J. scrambled to make the count.

1-2-3!

Kane had won the WWE Championship.

Kane picked up the belt, looked at it and then raised it over his head as his ring pyro exploded around him. He turned to A.J. and held out his hand.

Time slowed down, dreamlike, as she rose to her feet. The arena, the crowd, it all became a blur as she reached out and laced her fingers through his. Their eyes locked on each other, all the unspoken words between them conveyed in one single look.

The title belt dropped to the mat with a thump, forgotten as he pulled her to him. Her arms slid around his neck, her hands into his hair, oh at last! She could feel the straps of his mask under her fingers as she pulled his head down to her. And then his mouth was on hers and she was kissing him and he was kissing her back with an urgency that was both desperate and yearning. He kissed her until she felt dizzy, breathless and faint, clutching at him as the only solid thing in her existence.

He finally broke the kiss and laid his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as they held each other tightly.

And for that one moment in time there was nothing but the two of them left in the world….

(Stay tuned folks, 'cause it ain't over yet!)


	11. Chapter 11

11

Monday Night Raw

The Diva's locker room was always abuzz with frenetic activity before a show and the Monday after Money in the Bank was no exception. From outside A.J. could hear the women laughing and chattering to each other, but as soon as she walked in the talking stopped, dissolving into an awkward silence.

The other girls stared at her in surprise and shot surreptitious glances at each other. She heard under the breath mutterings and was positive she even heard someone hiss the word _slut_.

A.J. ignored them. She didn't care much for her fellow WWE Divas anyway. There was a particular clique, one she liked to think of as 'the mean girls', who resented her sudden rise in popularity without paying her perceived 'dues' and did everything they could to make her life difficult. She could give a rat's ass. She didn't owe her success to caring what they thought of her and most of them were just jealous bitches that would never rise above being gratuitous T & A anyway.

She opened her locker and pulled out her boots.

Finally, Kelly Kelly, broke the stony silence.

Hi, A.J.!" she said trying to sound cheerful, "We weren't sure we'd see you today."

A.J. started to calmly lace up her boots. Kelly Kelly was a bubble headed blond who completely lived up to the stereotype. She never seemed to have an original thought and was always eager to just go along with the popular consensus, but she lacked any real malice was also one of the few women in the WWE who had been genuinely nice to her.

"And why wouldn't I be here today?" she asked mildly, as if nothing unusual had happened last night.

"Well," Kelly Kelly, hesitated, "Last night, you know…Kane, grrrr?"she made a mock scowly face and formed a claw out of her right hand.

A.J. paused and fixed Kelly Kelly with a direct stare, "What about Kane?" she asked patiently, refusing to rise to the bait.

"Uhm, well, you know…he's…he's _Kane_.." Kelly Kelly laughed nervously. "And after you…uh…kissed him and he carried you out of the arena last night, we weren't sure you'd be…_" _Kelly Kelly broke off and bit her lip.

A.J. sighed, "Stop beating around the bush, Kelly," she said irritably. "If there's something you want to ask me, why don't you just come out ask me?"

Kelly Kelly glanced uneasily at the other women who were avidly listening. "A.J., I guess I just don't understand why you did what you did to C.M. Punk. You made him lose the WWE title match to Daniel Bryan and then you…you went off with Kane. I mean, no offense but, he's like, a monster."

A.J. felt a hot ball of anger kindle behind her eyeballs at that word. It was becoming as offensive to her when applied to Kane as any other cruel slur she had ever heard of.

"Not that it's any of your business," she said, trying to control her temper. She knew Kelly Kelly was just a parrot, repeating what she'd heard others say. "But he is not a monster. You guys treat him like he's inhuman and you don't even know him. I love him and he loves me."

"Is that what you tell yourself?" A voice said sarcastically from behind her. She turned to face the speaker. It was Beth Phoenix, the virtual leader of the 'mean girls'. She was a statuesque blond who looked and wrestled like an Amazon.

"Really, A.J.," she continued, not bothering to disguise the contempt in her voice," I didn't think even _you_ would stoop this low."

A.J. narrowed her eyes, "And just exactly how low am I stooping, Beth?" she asked quietly.

Beth smirked, "Well, first Daniel Bryan, then C.M. Punk and now…Kane? Really? "

A.J. got to her feet. She didn't care if Beth was almost twice her size. She'd already learned that in the WWE, backing down, even once, meant you'd be backpedaling for the rest of your career.

"Just exactly what are you implying, Beth?" She said evenly.

Beth Phoenix put her hands on her hips thrust her face right into A.J's. "Oh honey, I'm not implying anything. I'm saying it right to your face. You are a disgrace to the Diva's division. You know how hard it is to actually get respect as a woman around here? Some of us actually work hard in the ring to get to where we're at, but you, "

She looked A.J. pointedly up and down. "You just seem to do all your work on your back."

A.J. jumped at her and managed to get one good punch in before the other divas jumped in and pulled them apart.

"Admit it A.J!" Beth shouted furiously, struggling as Layla and Kelly Kelly grabbed her arms. Her face was already bruising where A.J. had hit her.

"You're a whore! You whore yourself out to whoever has a title belt! We do know Kane. He put John Cena in _coma_ last night! Chris Jericho may never walk again and you want us to believe he's some poor, misunderstood bastard who just needs a good woman to settle him down? You may have Kane fooled, but we're not stupid. As soon as he loses that title, you're gonna move on to the next notch on your bed post! Who's it gonna be? Sheamus? Orton? Cena?"

"You bitch!" A.J. screamed lunging at her again. The women holding her back pushed her to the floor, she felt boots thud into her ribs as someone kicked her, felt her hair being pulled and her top ripped. They dragged her kicking and screaming across the floor and shoved her out the door.

She rolled to her feet and kicked the locker room door as hard as she could. Unfortunately, she forgot she only had one boot on and kicked it with her bare foot and spent the next 30 seconds hopping around and yelling curses that would make any sailor proud.

Santino happened to be walking by and stopped to stare at her, shocked at the language pouring from her mouth.

"What are you looking at?" she demanded rudely and started to stomp away.

"A.J., please wait!" Someone called.

A.J. spun around, still fuming.

It was Kelly Kelly, looking close to tears. "I'm really sorry A.J. I shouldn't have said anything back there." she tried to apologize.

A.J. felt her hand curl into a fist, but then took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

"It's not your fault, Kelly." she said wearily. "You were just saying what everyone else was thinking."

"No," Kelly Kelly said miserably. "It was. I just don't stop to think sometimes!"

A.J. heartily agreed but she kept her opinion to herself.

"Do you really…like…Kane?" Kelly Kelly asked.

A.J. looked at her for a moment, gauging her sincerity, but couldn't help but smile as she thought about the way Kane treated her, like something rare and precious...and the way he kissed her.

"I do,"she said a tad dreamily.

Kelly Kelly looked concerned,"A.J., I know I'm not the best judge of men, God knows I've picked some losers in the past, but are you sure about him? I mean you've only spent one night with him and I don't know what he did to you but it seems like you've fallen awfully hard, awfully quick. Not that I'm trying to to pry." she added hastily, "Whatever you did with him is none of my business."

A.J. laughed, "It's not what you think. We just talked...mostly. Well I did most of the talking and he did most of the listening. But... "She paused trying to figure out a way to explain it.

"Oh Kelly, "she finally sighed. "If you had a man look at you the way he looks at me, you'd understand." Her expression fell a little."It just seems like no one wants to see us together. I know I didn't go about it the way I should have but...I think he's my soul mate."

"Wow, you two are just like Romeo and Juliet, "Kelly Kelly gushed wistfully. She paused, her forehead wrinkling in thought, "well, if Romeo was all evil and burned and scary and...well you know what I mean, No offense."

A.J. smiled, amused at the comparison. But then her smile died as she remembered that Romeo and Juliet didn't end up living happily ever after.

A.J. wandered around the hallway looking for someone from wardrobe. She didn't think she was going to get back into the Diva's locker room anytime tonight and she needed shoes. Luckily she didn't have a match tonight so it wasn't crucial to have her broken-in ring boots, but she couldn't appear on Raw barefoot.

That's when she saw a very familiar head of oily, slicked back hair.

_Oh crap! Punk!_

If there was one dark spot in her happiness it was C.M. Punk. She knew she had completely blindsided him, betrayed him and she felt horrible about it. But she had done her best to spare him from being the one destroyed by Kane.

She turned away quickly, briefly considered running around the corner to hide but he'd already seen her.

"A.J.?"

Well, she would have to face him someday, might as well get it over with.

She turned back around and looked at him and her eyes widened in surprise. "You shaved!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," he smiled ruefully and rubbed his bare chin."You were always hinting that you'd like me to shave the beard. I should have taken your advice sooner."

She stared at him in delight. She'd always thought he was a cutie but without the scruffy beard hiding half his face he was….well he was gorgeous. She started to reach out her hand to touch his smooth cheek before she remembered she didn't really have that right anymore.

"A.J." he said, "About what happened last night..."

She winced, "I'm so sorry Punk." She said. "I was trying to spare you. I knew Kane was coming for the winner of the title match. I didn't want it to be you."

Punk nodded, "I kind of figured that out when you pretty much served Daniel Bryan up to him on a silver platter. But, right now, I don't care about that, AJ. I care about you!"

A.J. looked at him skeptically, remembering how cavalierly he had treated their relationship.

"Do you, Punk?" She asked. "Do you really?"

"A.J., I am not a perfect man, I never claimed to be." he said reasonably, "But, yes, I care about you very much and I'm worried about what you've gotten yourself into."

A.J. thought about Kane and the kiss they'd shared last night after he won the title. That memory alone sent delicious shivers up her spine. Oh god, if he could only understand. If they could all just understand!

"You don't have to worry about me, Punk," she said. "I'm sorry about cheating you out of the WWE Title, but I'm not sorry about being with Kane."

"Oh, and so now you're telling me you're in love with that thing?" He said bitterly.

A.J. held his eyes, "Kane is very nice to me." She said defensively.

"Don't lie to yourself sweetheart. You and I both know that Kane is a dangerous man. He will end up hurting you. Come back to me. A.J.," He seemed to hesitate but then plunged on. "I never told you this before because I never found the time was right, but I have to say it now…I love you. "

A.J.'s eyes widened,"What?" she gasped.

"I love you." He repeated doggedly. "And I don't care about last night, I don't care about that freak. I just want you to come back to me and I will spend the rest of my life proving it to you. "

She stared at him "Come back to you," she repeated," And what about Kane?"

Punk shrugged "What about him? Kane will go back to whatever he was doing before. He'll go and murder a few babies and old ladies and he feel better. He'll get over you. I never will."

Punk's expression suddenly changed, hardened as his eyes shifted to something above and behind her. She turned. Kane was standing there. Silent, impassive. God, he could move quietly for a seven foot tall man.

She felt an electric jolt run through her as her eyes met his. She turned back to Punk as Kane laid a gentle hand on her shoulder where it met her neck. She clasped her hand around his index and middle finger and gave him a squeeze of solidarity. She felt the gentle pressure on her shoulder as he returned her silent gesture.

"I'm sorry Punk. I love him." She said simply. Kane gave him a final menacing glare from behind his mask and they turned and walked away.

C.M. Punk watched them go shaking his head. He knew she was crazy. Hell, he _accepted _it. But he'd never realized just how crazy until now. He headed toward the men's locker room.

"That three timing bitch," angry, hoarse voice growled from behind him.

He stiffened, turned and found himself face to face with Daniel Bryan.

Bryan looked terrible. His entire face was one big bruise, his head immobilized by a huge neck brace. He couldn't turn his head and so he had to turn his entire torso to watch Kane and A.J. go. It made for a faintly comical effect that in different circumstances would have made Punk laugh.

C.M. Punk said nothing, just looked at him until Bryan became uncomfortable with the silence.

"What?"He finally said.

"What do you want, Bryan?" Punk asked.

"What do you think I want? You are I are on the same side now, Punk. We've got a common enemy. I wanna know what you plan to do about that backstabbing bitch A.J. "

Punk shook his head, "Nothing, man. I'm not going to do anything to her."

"What? Are you going soft on me, Punk?" Bryan yelled. "She didn't just screw me, Punk, she screwed us BOTH! And for what, that...that FREAK?"

Punk put his forearm against Bryan's throat and shoved him hard against the wall and held him there, grinding his arm against Bryan's neck brace. Bryan flailed and made a horrible, guttural barking noise.

"Do I have to remind you, Bryan, that you are at least partly responsible for A.J.'s state of mind?" Punk said through gritted teeth. "You are the one who made her the way she is. She's not in her right state of mind and as long as she is with that psychopath, I am not doing anything to further endanger her."

He gave Bryan's neckbrace an extra thump to push his point home and then let him go and opened the locker room door.

Bryan grabbed his throat, "You're a goddamned idiot, Punk!" He croaked. "You're letting that little whore play you! Well, I hope you know that she and that mutant freak are laughing their asses off at you! Do you hear me?"

Punk didn't seem to hear him. His face was frozen, staring at something inside the locker room. Bryan stared at him

"Are you listening to me Punk?"

Punk, blinked and looked at him with a dazed expression, as if suddenly remembering Bryan was there.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Punk?" Bryan demanded. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Punk silently pointed through the doorway. Bryan walked over looked, "Oh…" he said said in suddenly small voice.

"No one told us _you _were coming back."

Kane was happy. Or at least as happy as the Devil's favorite Demon could be. In one night he had won both the WWE Title and the heart of a woman who saw him as something other than a monster. He still couldn't believe she was his, but it must be true for here she was, still with him as he prepared to make his first appearance on Raw as the new WWE Champion.

She was playing with his hair, fussing with it. He had let her comb it back out away from his face, even though he didn't really understand why it mattered. His usual hair care routine consisted solely of flipping it back out of the way when it hung in his face but it seemed to make her happy so he indulged her.

When she was done she picked up the title belt, tottering slightly on her new shoes. The Divas had thrown her out of the locker room barefoot and so she had found some ridiculously tall platform boots that added almost 7 inches to her height. And he still he over topped her by about a foot. She gave him a wink and a kiss on the cheek and then turned toward the arena entrance, waiting for their cue.

She was so, what was the word..?

Cute.

The familiar knell of his entrance theme broke the air and he strode out onto the familiar stage. A.J. preceded him with the title belt held high over her head. He made sure to match his pace to hers as they made their way to the ring where Michael Cole waited to interview the new WWE Champion. He helped A.J. up the steel steps and into the ring.

Half of the crowd cheered while the other half jeered. Half of the crowd angry at A.J's betrayal of C.M. Punk, the other half glad that weasel Daniel Bryan had gotten his comeuppance.

Kane stood in the center of the ring, slowly raised his arms, ready to summon his ring pyro when he felt his skin prickling as a preternatural premonition struck him.

The lights dropped again, throwing the arena into pitch blackness. The crowd noise fell to a murmuring hush in confused anticipation. What was happening?

Then, a deep bell pealed out and an eerie blue light lit the arena as fog rolled out of the entranceway. The crowd screamed in ecstasy as they recognized the music.

The Undertaker had returned.


	12. Chapter 12

12

Monday Night Raw

Kane stood as though he'd been turned to stone as his brother emerged from the entranceway wearing a hooded cloak that hid his face in darkest shadow. The Deadman's ominous presence brought with it a cold chill that permeated the arena and sent a quiver of terror through those seated in the rows closest to him.

A particularly drunken and reckless fan leaned over the barrier, managed to touch the edge of his cloak as he passed, then yelped in surprise as his hand and arm suddenly went numb all the way up to the shoulder. Later that night, he would wake from a dead sleep with bloodcurdling screams as his alarmed wife tried to calm him down. He kept repeating over and over that he'd seen his own death and she tried to convince him that he must have just had a nightmare. She turned on the bedside lamp, took one look at him and screamed herself. His hair had gone completely white.

The Undertaker came slowly down the ramp, his feet floating through the thick fog that curled along the floor. Wraithlike, he glided silently to the ring to where his brother waited for him. Kane, his blood, his greatest nemesis and the only man in the world unafraid to face him.

Kane was not pleased to see The Undertaker. Always it was the same when he and his brother came together and he knew it would happen again as surely as the turning of the seasons. They would inevitably start on a path to either destroy each other, or destroy everything around them. There was no middle ground.

Normally Kane welcomed the carnage for isn't that what he was made for? And as a force of destruction he and his brother together equaled far more than the sum of their parts. But this time there was something greater than himself at stake. This time he had something to protect.

The Undertaker climbed the steel steps and stood there for a moment, head bowed before he slowly raised his hands up, the lights brightening at his silent command. He stepped through the ropes into the ring and walked up to Kane until they stood mere inches apart. Kane reached over and pushed A.J. behind him, shielding her with his own body.

The Undertaker seemed to study his younger brother from the depths of his hood before he threw it back, revealing pallid white skin and jet black hair that swept back from his high forehead in a devil's peak. His deep set eyes were pale, piercing and bore into Kane as if to he could see the secret thoughts lurking behind the mask.

Finally, he spoke, his voice deep and gravelly like earth and stone. "Brother, I have been hearing news of you of late, disturbing news…"

He began to slowly circle Kane, who had to turn to keep facing him, staying between his brother and A.J.

"I've come to see if these….rumors…are true." The Undertaker's pale eyes flicked toward A.J. who was cowering behind Kane. His eyes briefly met hers. Her face went as pale as ash. His gaze was like cold fingers wrapping around her soul. She shivered violently and had to turn away from his unblinking stare.

Kane stepped between The Undertaker and A.J., feeling the slow burn of rage rise in him. What right did his brother, after long months of absence, have to come here now and question him?

The Undertaker dismissed A.J. and fixed Kane with the full force of his Deadman's stare.

"Tell me I've heard false, Brother." He said. "Tell me they lied to me so I can go back and rip their idle tongues out of their heads."

Kane remained silent, slowly tilting his head to study the Undertaker. This was his brother, the man who was the most responsible for the creature he had become. It was by his hand their parents had perished so long ago and it was by his hand that Kane had become a monster. But he couldn't have this confrontation with The Undertaker, not here and not now with A.J. present. The danger to her was too great.

Neither man would look away as they engaged in a silent battle of wills. The arena was so still and silent you could hear a pin drop.

Then Kane slowly dropped his eyes from his elder brother and started to turn away.

The Undertaker would not be rebuffed. His hand shot out and he grabbed Kane by the elbow, spinning him back around.

"Don't turn your back on me!" he growled. "Face me and speak!"

Kane bridled in anger as he and The Undertaker glared at each other. He flipped his hair back out of his face and advanced menacingly, hands clenching into fists. But again, after a momentary stare down, Kane was the first to look down and he turned away once more.

The Undertaker was infuriated. He grabbed Kane's arm and savagely jerked him back around. He flung his cloak off and thrust his face into Kane's mask. "What's wrong with you? Have you become a coward as well as a fool?"

This time Kane looked like he was about to strike his brother and The Undertaker looked like he would welcome it, or any other normal reaction from the Big Red Monster, but somehow, with superhuman effort, Kane managed to restrain himself at the last moment.

Instead, he stepped back and slowly raised his arms in a familiar summoning gesture before violently throwing them down. Hellfire roared out of the turnbuckles and a deafening explosion echoed throughout the arena.

Then, without uttering a word to his brother, he took A.J. and left the ring. The Undertaker did not stop him.

"Uh, so" Michale Cole said, from the corner of the ring where he'd been all but forgotten "Undertaker, let me be the first to welcome you back. Would you be able to tell the audience here and the viewers at home just what that was between you and your brother, Kane?" He stuck his microphone in The Phenom's face.

The Undertaker slowly turned and fixed Cole with a baleful glare.

Cole shrank back against the ropes, "Uh, Yes, So, I can see you're kind of busy right now. Maybe another time?"

The Undertaker took the microphone from Cole in one massive hand, crushed it and dropped the pieces at Cole's feet. Then, without another word, he left the ring.

* * *

Parts Unknown

The dream was always the same.

_Darkness, the smell of smoke, heat, unbearable and he was searching for her. Through the endless, drunken corridors he'd run, his heart pounding. He could hear her voice, at first, screaming his name and then just screaming._

_When he finally threw the door open he was always too late. The room was already on fire and she was burning._

Kane sat bolt upright, chest heaving. Cold sweat drenched his body, his heart pounded in his ears. He turned to A.J. She was asleep beside him, undisturbed. A flash of lightening from the open bedside window briefly illuminated her face. He took a deep breath and reached out, softly tracing a finger along her smooth cheek. She shifted a little; wrinkling her nose, then sighed and settled back into a deep sleep.

He rose unsteadily from the bed. Lightning flashed again, followed by a deep rumble of thunder. Outside a wild storm was building, perhaps reflecting the bedlam in his head.

The dreams were not good.

Ever since childhood he'd had dreams about death. Vivid and horrifying they arrived unbidden and almost always came true. He could not let it happen this time, _would_ not let it happen even if he had to go to the depths of hell to stop it.

Kane wandered into the dimly lit study, the rain was pattering against the glass of the French doors, throwing streaming shadows against the opposite wall. He went to the fireplace, slowly studying his face in the mirror above the mantle. Mirrors both attracted and repulsed him. He detested looking at himself, even with his mask on, and yet, there was the irresistible compulsion to look and see if perhaps, hope against hope, he wasn't quite as repulsive as he'd been the day before.

He sensed a subtle movement behind him. His eyes shifted up and saw his brother's reflection standing behind him. Kane was not surprised he had come.

Without turning he asked, "Why are you here?"

"So you finally speak." The Undertaker said. "I was wondering if this woman had taken your tongue along with your wits."

Kane's lip rose in a silent snarl. As always, with just a few cutting words his brother could bring him to the depths of shame.

"I'm here to save you from yourself." The Undertaker said.

"I don't need...saving." Kane replied evenly.

"Then perhaps _she_ does." His brother replied.

Again, his nightmare flashed before his eyes. The fire, the screams...

Kane pushed the images away. He put a hand on the mirror and closed his eyes. "I've always followed your lead. Even when we've been at odds, I always came back and deferred to you because you were the elder brother. Let me have this, this one time, this one thing."

"And what, exactly, is this thing?" The Undertaker asked in the tones of a man who'd already made up his mind to say 'no'.

Kane replied, "Love."

Undertaker 's eyes narrowed in contempt. "Love?" he repeated disdainfully. "You think whatever this female wants from you, it is love?"

Kane shook his head, "You can mock me" he growled,"but I've felt it. She sees…humanity in me."

At this, The Undertakers face twisted in pure disgust, "Humanity?" he spat the word like a vile obscenity. "Humanity is a curse, a weakness. I tried to burn the humanity from you long ago but still you persist in thinking it exists in you!"

Kane wheeled on his brother, furious, "Yes, _you_ made me into this thing that everyone hates and now you scorn me for it?"

The Undertaker glowered at his brother, "You are a _fool._"

He reached out and, in one swift motion, ripped the mask from Kane's face.

Kane roared in anger. If he had been any other man Kane would have killed him where he stood, but this was his brother. The Undertaker knew the secrets of Kane's ruined face; he was the _cause _of Kane's ruined face. Still, he turned on The Undertaker in fury, his hand going for the throat, only to find his brother's hand clamped like a vise on his own. The two men struggled in a stalemate until The Undertaker shoved his brother's face into the mirror over the mantle.

"LOOK!" He growled, forcing Kane to look at his own gruesome visage, "Look and tell me what you see! You've always blamed me for the scars you bear but I never scarred you; I merely brought your true face to light. This is _who you are_. Do you think _any_ woman could look upon THAT and love you?"

Kane twisted his face away from his own vile reflection. He roared and smashed the mirror with his bare fists over and over, cutting himself again and again. Glass shattered and rained down on the fireplace. His fists ran with blood.

The Undertaker released Kane. He reeled away from the broken mirror and away from the unbearable sight of his grotesque face.

When The Undertaker spoke again, his voice was oddly gentle.

"I am telling you now, this will not end well for you, or for her. I've already seen this. You and I were not made to be loved, Brother. I am Death, you are a Demon. We were made for destruction."

He dropped the mask on the floor at Kane's feet and walked out, leaving his brother in a pool of blood and broken glass.

Kane stood for a long time with his eyes closed, his breath churning between gritted teeth. Then, slowly, he bent to pick up the mask. He held it up and looked at it in the eyes. It had been a part of him for so long that he did not know how to live without it. Even as a child, it has been the first thing to tell him he was scarred and ugly.

He heard soft footsteps,"Kane?"

It was A.J. The sounds of shouting and fighting had woken her and drawn her to the study. Wrapped in a robe she looked very small, fragile and beautiful.

"Kane?" she said in a hesitant voice, trying to see his face in the dim light,"Are you ok?"

He wrenched his head away, jerked a hand up and pulled his hair across his face, hiding his hideousness from her.

"Go away A.J." he said hoarsely.

He could feel her hurt at his sudden harshness but nonetheless she came closer. She gasped when she saw the blood on his hands and the broken pieces of mirror littering the floor.

"What did you do?" She asked, her voice filled with concern. "Are you hurt? Let me see."

She started to reach out to him but he violently pushed her hands away.

"Don't look at me," he rasped.

"Kane it's OK." She pleaded, "_Please_, let me help you."

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" he roared.

She gasped and shrank back and for the first time he saw a flicker of fear in her wide brown eyes.

He couldn't bear it. He turned blindly toward the French doors, groping for the handles, trying to open them with one hand. They were locked so he hurled his body through them in a shower of shattering glass and splintered wood and disappeared into the pouring rain.


	13. Chapter 13

13

Friday morning before Smackdown

Vince McMahon was pissed.

And when Vince McMahon was pissed, everyone in the building knew it.

It had been four days since anyone had seen or heard from the WWE champion Kane and not only did this mean a scramble to make last minute booking changes on Smackdown but also threw a major wrench in the planning for the historic Monday Night Raw coming up in just a few days.

Shawn Michaels leaned against the wall outside of the CEO's office, idly cleaning his fingernails with a pocket knife. He could hear stomping and shouting coming from the other side of the door and, not for the first time, was very glad he wasn't in Hunter's shoes.

"We have the 1000th episode of Raw in three days and he pulls this shit?" MacMahon raged, pacing back and forth. "Not only did he put John Cena, our biggest star, in the frickin' HOSPITAL but now he's got the title and goes AWOL with the biggest Monday show we've ever had coming up?"

His son in law, Triple H, sat patiently, absorbing McMahon's fury. He was used to seeing the boss's fits and had learned when to say his piece and when to keep his mouth shut.

"What about that Diva, A.J.? " McMahon demanded, "Isn't she supposed to be shacking up with him? Or is it Punk this week?"

Triple H shrugged,"I've already talked to her. She says she hasn't seen him since he went berserk Monday night and went crashing through a glass door like he thought he was Indiana Jones or something and ran out into a lightning storm. She's the last person who saw him."

McMahon turn and stabbed an index finger in his direction. "You find him. Do you hear me? Do you understand? I want him found now!" He started banging his fist down on the desk. " Not tomorrow, not after lunch. NOW!"

His face was mottled red in anger and a vein pulsed in his forehead, "Or, so help me God, I will strip him of the WWE Championship and FIRE his ass!"

* * *

Triple H stepped out of the office and closed the door firmly behind him. Shawn Michaels stood up straight and raised his eyebrows at his best friend.

"Someone forgot to take his fiber." He quipped.

Triple H rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Oh man, I don't need this crap. The Big Red Psycho takes a walk and I gotta deal with the fallout from Vince."

"Well,"Shawn said reasonably,"I'm kind surprised he hasn't turned up yet. I mean, how hard is it to find a seven foot, 325 pound giant with hideous burn scars?"

Triple H shook his head." Trust me, if Kane doesn't want to be found, he ain't gonna be found. Or god help the poor bastard who stumbles on him."

"So what do we do now?" Shawn asked, "Put his face on milk cartons? Lost pet fliers?"

Triple shrugged,"We've already filed a missing persons report. Questioned everyone who might have any kind of information on him. Now, Vince wants us to send every one out on foot to look for him."

Shawn threw up his hands,"Really? Is he familiar with the concept of the needle and the haystack?"

Triple H sighed,"_You_ go in there and try to explain it to him."

Shawn turned smartly toward the locker room, "Whelp, let's go form up the posse!"

* * *

"All right people, listen up!" Shawn announced in his best official voice, clapping his hands for attention as he and Triple H addressed the assembled crowd of WWE wrestlers, Divas and personnel.

"We got orders from the Head Honcho, Vince himself. Our man has been on the run for 82 hours. Average foot speed over uneven ground barring injuries is 4 miles-per-hour. That gives us a radius of about 300 miles.

What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area. Checkpoints go up at a 350 mile radius.

Your fugitive's name is Kane, aka, the Big Red Machine, aka, the Devil's favorite Demon, aka Big Scary Masked Dude. He's seven feet tall, 325 pounds and…ah hell, if you don't know what Kane looks like, then come see either me or Hunter and we'll smack you around a while for being an idiot. OK? Go get him! "

The crowd slowly dispersed, looking slightly confused as to what they were really supposed to do.

Triple H shook his head in mock exasperation, "You've just been dying to do that haven't you?"

Shawn gave him his trademark crooked grin, "Hey, I aim to please." He said. "Now, which of us goes to talk to the Undertaker about his little missing bro?"

Triple H looked at him askance "Shoot you for it." He finally offered.

* * *

A.J. arrived at the arena alone, her head down and her heart heavy. She hadn't heard from Kane at all since late Monday night and she was beginning to wonder if she'd ever see him again.

_Where are you, Kane?_

What made it even worse was that she'd turned into some kind of pariah. It seemed that everyone in the company was blaming her for Kane's disappearance. She heard all the jokes they were making, that after spending a week with her Kane had decided he'd rather return to Hell, that the Undertaker had killed his younger brother for refusing to give her up, that Kane was now in the witness protection program living as a guy named Saul Merkman in Boca Raton.

No one wanted to talk to her; even the 'mean' Divas gave her a wide path.

"A.J.?"

It was Daniel Bryan.

"A.J., I just wanted to see how you were doing?"

He was still wearing the neck brace but his face looked vastly improved, the bruises starting to fade.

A.J. shook her head, "Not good Daniel. Not good at all."

His looked distraught " A.J. I'm really sorry." He ran a hand over his hair, "You know, I can't stand to see you like this. I'm never going to like Kane, but, I still care about you and I hope they find him for your sake."

She stared at him in confusion,"You do?"

He nodded, "Look, what's done is done. I think it's time for us to let bygones be bygones, right?" He looked at her hopefully and held out his arms.

A.J. hesitated for a moment, then walked into his arms, dissolving into tears, just grateful that there was someone who seemed to care. He hugged her while she cried and there was something so familiar and comforting about him that she just let go and sobbed.

Finally, as her tears started to taper off, she rubbed her eyes and gave him a tremulous smile. Maybe they could be friends. After all, she had once thought she loved him.

Bryan wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled, "Hey, have you had anything to eat yet? Why don't I bring you some food?"

She nodded gratefully. She had hardly eaten anything since Kane had disappeared.

Bryan returned a short time later with a chicken sandwich, a salad and a glass of iced tea.

As she ate, Bryan told her what efforts were being made to find Kane. Vince McMahon, it seemed was pulling every string he had to locate the WWE title holder before the historic 1000th Raw.

"Wow, I can't believe he's going to so much trouble." she said.

Bryan snorted,"He's not doing it for Kane. He could give a rat's ass about him. But he sure as hell does care about the 1000th Raw going off without a hitch and it's kind of hard to do that when the WWE Champion is missing. I even heard that he threatened to strip the title from Kane and fire him if he doesn't show up."

He studied her for a moment. "You sure did screw everything up, didn't you?"

"What-?" she looked at him startled by the sudden hard and brittle tone in his voice.

"You," he continued,"You're kind of like a bad luck charm. First me, then C.M Punk and now even that big oaf Kane. You just ruin everyone's life, don't you?"

"Daniel, what are you..."She trailed off.

Something was wrong. Her eyelids were getting heavy, her face felt numb, she was having a hard time focusing…she…she…

She looked at the glass of iced tea, then at Bryan as slow realization dawned on her.

"…you" she gasped.

Bryan smirked at her,"How's it feel to be stabbed in the back, bitch?" he asked.

She got to her feet, wobbly, the room was spinning. She stumbled toward the door as Bryan watched her, impassively. She made three steps before crashing to the floor, unconscious.


	14. Chapter 14

Smackdown

Her arms hurt.

Why couldn't she move them?

Slowly, she became aware of the fact that her entire body hurt, she ached in muscles she didn't even know she had. What was wrong with her?

With great effort she opened her eyes. The room was dimly lit, blurry. She blinked, moved her head and whimpered as a giant bolt of pain spiked through her head. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to go away. Slowly, she opened her eyes again and with tiny movements of her head tried to look around. She was in a small room tied to a chair, arms and legs. The only other furniture in the room was a small loveseat and a TV stand on which a small TV was turned on but the sound muted.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eyes. It was Daniel Bryan. He was crouching in the corner fiddling with what looked like a video camera.

"Daniel?"She croaked. She tried to swallow but her throat was parched.

He turned to see her awake and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Princess! You're awake, good! I thought you were going to sleep through the entire night."

"Why-?" she whispered.

Bryan shrugged,"Why?" he repeated. "Why? I've been asking that question a lot myself lately."

He began to pace the room,"Why would I drug you and tie you to a chair? Why would my ex girlfriend deliberately set me up to nearly be killed by a seven foot psycho? What am I going to do to you for revenge? So….many….questions."

A.J. tried to hide her fear."Kane won't let you hurt me." She said,"He'll come looking for me."

"YES!" Bryan exclaimed,"Exactly. That big dummy has a knight in shining armor complex. He won't be able to resist coming to the rescue of his precious little A.J. And when he comes I'll be waiting. I've set a trap for that freak and you are the tasty little bait."

A.J. stared at him, tears starting to well in her eyes,"I thought you'd forgiven me, Daniel." She whispered.

This seemed to enrage Bryan. "Forgive you!" he shouted. He bent down, put his hands on her arms and pushed his face into hers. "Did you really think you were going to live happily ever after with him? Have a little house with a white picket fence and little freaks running around? Did you think that after what you did to me I would ever allow that to happen?" he shook his head slowly "You will NEVER be happy with him, A.J. I will destroy him and I will make you watch!"

"You can't destroy Kane," A.J. said softly. "People have tried before and he always comes back!"

Bryan gave her a sadistic grin,"That's what you think, doll. But even a so-called demon can burn."

A.J. felt her heart drop into her stomach. Fire, the one thing that had ever hurt Kane. She couldn't bear to think of him burning again.

"Daniel, no," she begged. "Please, Daniel, this is all my fault. It's always been. You're right about me, I ruined everything. I'll do anything you want. Just don't hurt him!"

Bryan studied her."Wow," he said in disgust,"All this time I thought you were just whoring yourself out to whoever had the title belt. But you've really got feelings for that freak, don't you?"

The tears came, she couldn't stop them,"Daniel, please, "she pleaded, "It's not his fault. None of it. I'm the one who came on to him, you know that! Do whatever you want to me, but just leave him alone. Don't burn him!"

Bryan regarded her with narrowed eyes, "Anything, huh?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yes."

"Marry me."

"Wha-?" She blinked at him, confused.

"See that camera over there?" He pointed in the corner. "That camera is linked to a direct satellite feed to tonight's Smackdown. I was going to give Kane a good glimpse of you all pretty and tied up but you've given me a better idea. "

"Why would you want to marry me?" A.J. asked, "I thought you hate me!"

Bryan gave her an evil grin,"Who says I have to love you to marry you? And I don't deny I still have a…physical attraction to you."

A.J. tried to shrink back in the chair as he leered at her.

"Tonight, you will appear with me via satellite on Smackdown. You will tell the audience that I have proposed to you and you have accepted. You are delirious with joy. You will tell them that you never loved Kane, that you found him to be a hideous monster and that you're glad he is gone. Kane will be so devastated that he will disappear permanently. Vince will strip him of the title and naturally the two top contenders for the vacant belt will be C.M. Punk and myself.

And then, my loving little wifey will to run to C.M. Punk behind my back and beg him to save her. Even though you screwed him over he still cares about you, you see. And then, when the time is right, you will betray Punk and I will get back what's rightfully mine."

A.J. stared at him,"Do you really think that crazy plan is going to work?"

"Whether or not it works is all up to you. "Bryan said. "But then again, if you don't want to do it we could always go with Plan A."

* * *

Parts Unknown

The glass from the broken doors crunched under his boots as he stepped into the room. He looked around immediately sensing that the house was empty. It was cold, silent, devoid of her presence.

He was not surprised. Why would she stay? Why would she wait for him?

He had had a week of happiness and perhaps that was all a monster like him deserved.

Pieces of the shattered mirror still littered the floor. He bent over and picked one up. Dried blood filmed the glass and lent a red tint to the reflection of his eye.

"She's already forgotten about you."

Kane looked up and saw the Undertaker watching him from the doorway. His lip raised in irritation. Why did his brother insist on mysteriously appearing out of thin air and speaking in cryptic phrases?

He glowered at the Undertaker,"I left her. The wrongdoing was mine."

The Undertaker snorted,"She never loved you. If she did, she would have waited for you to return."

Kane looked down at the shard of mirror he held, "The wrongdoing was mine," he repeated stubbornly. "I frightened her."

"Of course you frightened her," The Undertaker said. "Didn't I warn you? No woman can truly love you."

"I will find her, I can…I can redeem myself, "Kane insisted.

His brother looked at him with a mixture of pity and disgust. "Then you don't know?"

A feeling of dread prickled the base of his spine. "What don't I know?"

There was a small TV on a stand in the corner of the room. The Undertaker made a gesture toward it. It flickered on.

Smackdown was on.

"Uhm, we're being told that we have an important announcement from Daniel Bryan. " Michael Cole was saying. "He's not here tonight but he'll be joining us via satellite any moment now."

"I wonder what Bryan has to say," Booker T commented, "We haven't heard much from him since Money in the Bank."

"Ah, here he is" Cole said. "Daniel Bryan, welcome to Smackdown. Uh, thank you for joining us today. I know you're still recovering from the injuries you received from Kane last Sunday."

"Thank you Michael, "Bryan said. He was still wearing a neck brace but he was beaming into the camera. "And yes, I do have a very important announcement to make. I know that my behavior over the last few weeks toward A.J. has been pretty inexcusable. I was just so blinded by the WWE Title that I forgot what's really important."

"Well, yes, you did treat her rather badly." Cole said," But she pretty much gave you and the title to Kane. How did that make you feel?"

Bryan nodded, "Yes, I was pretty angry after what she did. But I did a lot of thinking and I realized that I brought it on myself. I deserved everything she did and I'm not angry about it anymore. In fact, A.J. and I have been doing a lot of talking and we worked a lot of things out. We realized that we still had feelings for each other, so…I finally did what I should have done a long time ago. I asked her to marry me."

"WHAT?" Michael Cole exclaimed in shock.

In the arena the fans were in a frenzy. There were chants of "NO!NO!NO!"

"You asked her to MARRY you?" Cole repeated. "And what did she say?"

"Well" Bryan grinned, "Why don't I let her tell you herself!"

The camera panned back to reveal A.J. sitting beside him. She looked pale and nervous.

"Hi Michael," she said.

Cole was beside himself, "A.J.! Is it true Daniel Bryan asked you to marry him?"

She hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, he did."

"And what was your answer?"

She bit her lip, glanced at Bryan who nodded encouragingly, "I said yes," she finally said.

"Oh my lord, "Booker T said, "But what about Kane? I thought you were in love with Kane?"

She looked ready to cry. Bryan put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"I…I never loved Kane. I only used him because I thought he could win the belt. Being with him was…horrible. I'm glad he's gone. Now I can start my life with my true love, Daniel."

The arena crowd fell into a paroxysm of fury. Chants of "NO!NO!NO!" turned to "WHORE!WHORE!WHORE!"

Bryan gave her a kiss on the forehead and grinned, "We're going to be very happy. In fact, we're so much in love that we've decided not to wait. We're planning to have our wedding on the 1000th episode of Raw."

"This is amazing! Well folks, looks like we're having a wedding on Monday Night Raw!" Cole yelled. "Let me be the first to congratulate you two!"

Bryan smiled, waved and then pulled A.J. to him for a kiss.

"Oh my god, "Booker T murmured.

Kane felt pain lance through his hand. He was gripping the shard of mirror so tightly it had sliced through his palm. Blood pattered on the floor like rain.

"Do you see?" The Undertaker asked.

Kane suddenly roared in fury, picked up the TV and threw it through the window. He flipped the coffee table over and then picked it up and smashed it to splinters. He drove a fist through the drywall, kicked a hole in the door. He picked up the lamp and flung it across the room.

The Undertaker left silently as Kane proceeded to destroy the entire house.

He knew his brother was in pain. Pain was helpful. Pain would help him cleanse the taint of love from his soul.


	15. Chapter 15

Monday Night Raw 1000th episode

Vince McMahon may have been a miserable, crotchety old bastard but everyone agreed he could throw one hell of a wedding on extremely short notice. With less than three days between the announcement and the actual ceremony itself, the wedding of Daniel Bryan and A.J. Lee still promised to be a grand event and served as the focal point of the 1000th episode of Raw.

He had pulled out all the stops, the doors were decorated with festive garlands, ribbons bedecked all the seats. Guests were sipping on complimentary glasses of champagne. The arena was decked out with thousands of flower arrangements. The ring was covered in white crepe garlands which were wound around the ring posts and ropes. Up above the ring a cage full of white doves awaited release at the precise moment Daniel Bryan and A.J. were pronounced man and wife.

A gazebo, carved out of white ash and dripping in white lilies stood in the middle of the ring where Daniel Bryan waited to make A.J. his bride.

Big Show stood behind him as his best man, looking rather stiff and uncomfortable in his tux. Triple H stood as his other groomsman, having been roped into the duty by his father in law. Across from them Kelly Kelly and Kaitlyn were A.J.'s bridesmaid and maid of honor, dressed in short blue bridesmaid dresses. .

Shawn Michaels stood in the gazebo, officiating the ceremony. He wore a subdued grey suit with his hair tied back and looked dapper and amused at the role he was about to play. He caught Triple H's eye.

"Aren't you more used to ruining weddings than being part of them?"He said under his breath. Triple H's lips twitched as he tried not to smirk. Memories of his own nuptials to Steph came back to him. Ah…good times….

The lights in the arena dimmed and the restless crowd turned toward the entrance in anticipation. The familiar strains of "Here comes the Bride," rang out over the speakers.

Vince McMahon emerged with the bride on his arm. He gave the audience a wide, pompous grin as he began his trademark, bowlegged strut down the ramp. In stark contrast, A.J. looked liked she was barely conscious. She was wan and listless underneath her veil and had to practically be dragged along by the CEO.

Her dress was beautiful, ivory satin with a six foot long train. The crowd murmured, for all she looked pale and nervous she did make a very lovely bride.

A.J. felt like she was going to throw up. She would have rather been walking off the edge of a cliff than making the walk down the ramp up to the ring where Daniel Bryan waited for her. As Vince McMahon practically pulled her down the aisle, her eyes darted to the crowd, hoping against hope that He would be here, and at the same time praying He would stay away. Bryan had informed her he had made contingency plans in case Kane decided to crash the wedding. Vince McMahon had agreed that as soon as she and Bryan were married, he would announce the WWE Tile vacated and Kane fired.

They were at the ring now. Production had rigged a special ramp for her so she could get into the ring without having to climb the steel steps. Vince led her up the ramp and helped her into the ring. Oh god, there was Bryan waiting for her in his tux with a smarmy grin on his face. This was really happening.

Shawn Michaels waited until Vince led her all the way up to the gazebo. His eyes lingered on A.J. and she was surprised to see a flicker of sympathy in their depths.

He paused an extra few seconds for dramatic effect, then said, "Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?"

Vince puffed out his chest, "I do!" he said self importantly.

He placed her hand in Bryan's. Bryan's hand closed over hers and clutched tightly as if he thought she might make a break for it. Kelly Kelly took her bouquet from her.

Michaels nodded and began the ceremony, "Friends and family," he started theatrically, "we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Daniel Bryan and A.J. Lee in marriage…."

A.J. felt lightheaded. From the corner of her eye she saw Bryan frown slightly as he felt her wobble.

"Don't you pass out on me," he hissed at her under his breath.

"….support the covenant these two people, Bryan and A.J., are going to make and to share in the joy that they experience as they pledge their love and commitment to each other…."

This was not how she'd pictured her wedding day. When she was a little girl she had dreamt of marrying her prince charming. Just recently the prince had become taller, brooding and wore a mask. But this was no longer a dream. It was a nightmare.

"... a life of mutual commitment. A vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great; and now falls upon your shoulders the task of choosing your values..."

A.J. realized she was drifting again as Bryan gave her arm a hard pinch. She startled slightly and refocused her attention on Shawn Michaels who was still rambling on and on.

"...marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love..."

"Get on with it," Vince growled.

Shawn Michael broke off, frowned slightly looking insulted. "So, if there is any reason these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

A.J.'s breath stopped, waiting as it seemed everyone in the arena was, for Kane to appear.

There was a moment of utter silence, then music smashed through the speakers.

_Look in my eyes, what do you see?__  
The cult of personality__  
I know your anger, I know your dreams__  
I've been everything you want to be__  
I'm the cult of personality_

The arena exploded as C.M. Punk charged out onto the stage.

"I OBJECT!"

Shawn Michaels mockingly raised his eyes to the rafters, "Oh, why am I not surprised?" he said.

Punk ran up the ramp and slid into the ring. Bryan shoved A.J. behind him to confront Punk.

"Stop the wedding!" Punk said.

"Get out of here!" Bryan yelled back.

"A.J.! You can't marry him! You can't marry Daniel Bryan!" Punk shouted.

Bryan punched him the face.

"God damnit! This is a wedding, not a Rumble!" Vince bellowed.

Shawn Michaels and Triple H looked at each other, shrugged and turned and double clothes lined the Big Show.

Bryan was on top of Punk, trying to beat his face in. "YOU…ARE….RUINING…..MY…..WEDDING!"

Punk boxed Bryans ears as hard as he could. Bryan reeled in pain and fell backwards. Big Show put a boot in Shawn Michaels' face. Vince was screaming for security.

WWE staff, wrestlers and security personnel rushed to the ring, surging over the brawlers, pulling them apart. Punk and Bryan lunged at each other again and had to be yanked to opposite corners of the ring. Vince snatched the microphone. His face was beet red with anger.

"What is the meaning of this PUNK!" he roared.

Punk was still struggling, looking at A.J. wild eyed, "A.J., I can't let you do this! You can't marry Bryan!"

A.J. looked at him, bewildered.

_Punk, what are you doing? Is this your misguided way of 'rescuing' me?_

"Punk," she said, "I made a promise. I'm going to marry Daniel. I…I love him."

Bryan smirked at Punk. "See? She's going to be MY wife!

Vince pointed a finger at Punk. "You are way out of line, Punk! Who do you think you are coming down here and disrupting this sacred ceremony?"

"I know you don't really love Bryan, A.J. And I know he's just using you to get back at Kane. Don't make the biggest mistake of your life!" Punk begged.

A.J. looked at him sadly,"Punk, I have to marry Daniel."

"No, you don't" Punk said earnestly. He dropped down to one knee. "Marry me!"

Pandemonium broke out as the audience erupted. A.J. stared at Punk, absolutely flustered as Bryan tried to attack Punk again. Punk was pleading with A.J. Vince was shouting at Punk.

The arena lights suddenly dropped. A shocked silence, like a sharply in drawn breath, rippled over the crowd. A split second later a red, fiery explosion lit up the darkness, shaking the arena from floor to rafters.

Every head in the arena jerked around as he walked out of the entrance, a seven foot tall demon from the deepest pit of nightmares.

Kane had shown up for the wedding after all.

And he wasn't alone.

A second figure stepped out behind him, tall, grim, his pale eyes blazing from deep within his hood.

The Brothers of Destruction were crashing the show.


	16. Chapter 16

16

Monday Night Raw 1000th episode

"Stop them!" Vince thundered as Kane and The Undertaker marched grimly, side by side down the ramp. Security personnel and wrestlers alike scrambled down the ramp, trying to stop the demonic duo as they made their inexorable way toward the ring.

The brothers waded through the mass of humanity like a combine through a field of wheat, sending scores of bodies flying into the crowd. People started milling around uneasily, this was all just for entertainment, wasn't it? Surely this wasn't real?

In the ring Vince was screaming orders at Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

"Get down there and stop them! You hear me? Stop them or you're FIRED!"

Shawn Michaels and Triple H stared at him ranting for a moment and then exchanged a look.

"Get your asses down there or I'll-!"

Vince's rant was cut off as Shawn Michaels hit him square in the mouth with sweet chin music. Vince dropped as if he'd been poleaxe. They weren't done. Triple H picked him up, bent him over, hooked his arms behind his back and hit his father in law with a massive pedigree.

"There ya go, Dad!" Triple H said sarcastically. They both stood over his prone body and performed their patented DX crotch chops. After all the crap Triple H had put up with the past week it was totally worth it.

Kane and The Undertaker were halfway to the ring. Kane could see A.J. standing frozen beside Daniel Bryan and he couldn't help but to stare at what he'd lost. Her dark eyes looked enormous in her pale face. She looked like an angel in her dress of pure white. In her wedding dress, he realized. So, it was true. She was marrying that fool Daniel Bryant.

Her eyes widened as they met his. Bryan grabbed her wrist and pulled her roughly across to the far side of the ring.

She suddenly snapped out of whatever trance she'd been in. She looked at Bryan and then turned to look back at him.

"KANE!" she screamed.

He heard her voice over the noise of the fighting, over the tumult of the crowd. Over everything he heard her calling his name and his heart pounded so hard it hurt his chest. Bryan was pushing her through the ring ropes, twisting her arm brutally. He heard her cry out in pain.

The familiar red veil of rage dropped over his eyes. It no longer mattered that she'd left him to marry someone else, didn't matter that she was no longer his. Bryan was hurting her. She needed him.

He almost took Heath Slater's head off with a giant boot to the face. He picked Christian up and hurled him five rows into the spectator seats. R-Truth and Cody Rhodes had the misfortune to get in his way and he knocked their heads together so hard they fell to the floor in a boneless heap, R-Truth bleeding from his ears. Santino saw him coming, gave a squeak of fear and fell to the floor, playing dead. Kane pulled himself up on the ring apron, gaining a slightly better vantage point to see where Bryan was taking her. He manhandled her over the barrier into the crowd and headed towards the concourse.

A.J. tripped and fell heavily to her knees as her heels caught in the train of her dress. Bryan paid no heed as he dragged her stumbling and unable to regain her balance.

"Daniel, let me go! Stop!" She pleaded, trying to pry his fingers loose. It was no use; his grip was like iron, grinding the small bones in her wrist together until she thought he was going to break them. He yanked her roughly to her feet but she tripped again after just a few steps. She lost a shoe, banged her knee against a stair.

"Come on! Get on your feet!" He ordered harshly, "I've got a little surprise for you. "

"Daniel!" She said,"It's over Daniel! Please, just let me go!"

Bryan rounded on her snarling, fist raised. She shrank back. He looked absolutely demented.

"Nothing is over until I say it's over! Now, you can either shut your mouth and go on your feet or I can drag you by the hair, it makes no difference to me!"

C.M. Punk tried desperately to push his way through the press of bodies. He'd seen Bryan dragging A.J. off into the crowd but lost sight of them as the panicked audience started stampeding for the exits.

"A.J.!" he yelled, helplessly. He climbed over the backs of the arena seats, slowly making his way toward the concourse. God, what was Bryan going to do to her? Punk felt an iron band of guilt squeeze his heart. Why hadn't he warned her about Bryan? He knew Bryan was angry and bitter, looking for revenge. And maybe he'd been a little bitter too. Maybe he'd thought that after how she'd betrayed him she might deserve a little comeuppance. But nothing like this. If Bryan hurt her he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

He finally made it to the upper concourse and emerged directly opposite the snack bar. Which way? He looked left, then went right.

He was going against the flow of traffic, which made it twice as hard for him to fight through the crowds. A few people were still in the state of mind to recognize him and when they saw him they excitedly shouted, "Hey, It's C.M. Punk! Hey Punk!"

Punk tried to be polite but an impenetrable crowd was starting to form around him.

"Hey, excuse me!" He said loudly, "I'm really glad to meet you guys but I've got an emergency! Please, let me through!"

There was a commotion coming the opposite way. But unlike the crowd surrounding him, this crowd was trying to get _away_ from whoever, or whatever was headed in his direction.

Kane.

_Aw crap,_Punk thought.

Kane saw him and stopped. The crowd backed away, leaving a clear space between the two men. There were excited speculations of whether they would brawl right then and there.

Punk.

Kane stood and looking at the man, his onetime rival. C.M. Punk with his smooth skin, his hazel eyes. His face that could send women swooning by flashing a single crooked smile in their direction.

Kane would never have C.M. Punk's face, not unless he killed the man and made a mask out of him.

"Uh...look Kane, "Punk was saying, holding his hands out in a placating gesture."I don't want to fight you. I just want to help A.J. Daniel Bryan's got her and god knows what he plans to do with her."

Kane stared at him, slowly tilting his head.

"Uhm, no, no, no," Punk said,"Don't look at me like that. We both want the same thing. A.J, remember her? I want to help A.J."

Kane felt a prickle of irritation. What a fool the man was. He didn't understand what A.J. had ever seen in Punk.

He briefly contemplated picking him up and tossing him over the counter of the snack bar, perhaps holding his pretty face down in the deep fat fryer. He even took a step toward the man when he abruptly stopped and turned his head.

He smelled smoke.

A.J. tried her best to keep up with Bryan but it felt like he was going to rip her arm out of its socket. Not only were his legs longer than hers but she had only one shoe and the ridiculous train on her dress kept tripping her up. The fourth time she stumbled, Bryan cursed and finally stopped to tear the bottom part of her dress off until it was above her knees. They were in some sort of service corridor which led out to a large storage area lined with portable storage units. For some reason there was a strong smell of gasoline.

Bryan started to pull her toward one of these units. She realized what his intentions were.

"No!" She protested, pulling back.

"Get over there!" he ordered.

"NO!"She screamed, fighting in earnest now. She kicked at him, scratched, bit.

"God damn it!" Bryan shoved her to the floor, then bent and hoisted her up onto his shoulder. He stumbled over to the nearest storage container and with some difficulty, ran the door up on its tracks. He tried to throw her inside but she got a good headlock on him and refused to let go. He cursed and punched her in the ribs. She yelped in pain and it was enough for him to loosen her hold and throw her bodily into the empty storage container.

Before she could scramble to her feet, he banged the door down. She heard the bolt shoot home and the 'snick' of a padlock as he locked the container from the outside.

"NO! LET ME OUT!" She pounded on the door.

There was no answer.

"Daniel! Please! Don't leave me in here!" she wailed.

She could hear his footsteps then an odd, airless _whooshing_ noise.

What was he doing out there? She put her ear to the door, straining to hear him. It was quiet now, as if he'd gone away.

But now, there was something new. She frowned, put her nose to the crack between the door and the track.

A new wave of terror swept over her as she realized she could smell smoke.

The hallway was on fire but Kane didn't seem to notice as he charged into the thick smoke. Punk hesitated a moment before pulling the collar of his shirt over his nose and mouth and following him in. The short corridor led into a large storage garage.

"Oh my God," Punk whispered as he stepped into the room. They were in hell. The entire room was on fire. Crates and stacks of pallets were blazing merrily, belching black smoke. Fire ran along the floor, licked up the walls. With his eyes he followed a tendril of flame that shot up the wall and started spreading over the ceiling. There were approximately ten portable storage containers sitting against the far wall. The fire was tasting a corner of the container furthest from them and liking it, slowly spreading up the side.

Choking smoke hung heavy in the air. Punk's eyes and throat already burned.

"A.J?" he shouted, "A.J?" he dissolved into a fit of coughing.

Kane seemed strangely unaffected by the fire and smoke.

He could hear banging and...was that someone yelling? Punk covered his mouth and rubbed his streaming eyes. He heard the banging again.

"Kane!" he yelled, "I hear her, she's in here!" Punk crouched next to the storage unit and wiggled the door.

"Shit! It's locked!" He yelled, "A.J? A.J?" He could hear a muffled crying from inside the crate.

Kane strode over and looked at the door. He pushed it lightly then took three steps back and rammed his shoulder into the metal door. It shuddered but held. He backed up and did it again, and again.

On the fifth hit the door buckled.

The bottom corner of the door popped from the stress and bent outward. Kane grabbed the lip and pulled, the muscles in his arms straining, tendons standing out in his neck. Slowly, the bottom corner of the door bent upwards.

A small hand fell out of the opening. Punk started to grab for it but Kane shoved him so hard he stumbled back and bounced off the wall.

Kane pulled A.J. out of the box and picked her up, cradling her as gently as if she were a child. She was limp, her breathing short and shallow. Her dark hair was plastered across her face in damp tendrils. Her eyelids fluttered, slowly opened.

"Kane?" she whispered, reaching up to touch his mask.

"A.J." he answered, the first words Punk had heard him say all night.

Watching them C.M. Punk felt vaguely uncomfortable, as if he were intruding on an intimate moment. He cleared his throat, coughed.

"O.K. guys, let's save the reunion for later? We need to get out of here!"

The corridor through which they'd come was an inferno. There was no way they could go back that way. For the first time, Kane seemed to notice the fire, flinching as large embers started floating down from the burning ceiling.

The only other exit from the room were the storage bay doors and they were close and locked. Punk couldn't figure out how to open them. The bay windows were small but remained their only option. Punk found a hammer and and smashed the glass out. He went first, he had to wiggle and squeeze to fit through. Once he was outside he reached back in and helped A.J. climbed out as Kane boosted her up.

A.J. looked back in at Kane and her heart sank.

The window was much too small, He'd never fit.

He was looking around for another exit when they heard the loud cracking noise. Kane looked up.

A.J. screamed as the ceiling fell in and buried him alive in flames.


	17. Chapter 17

Monday Night Raw 1000th Episode Aftermath

Punk grabbed A.J. around the waist and threw her to the ground and covering her with his body as smoke and debris exploded from the window. They could hear a cacophony of sirens as police and fire trucks wailed toward the arena.

A.J. crawled from underneath him, coughing and choking.

"Kane" she croaked as she struggled to her feet and fell against the bay doors, banging them weakly with her fists.

"He's gone, A.J," Punk said, catching hold of her arm and trying to pull her to him. "There's nothing we can do."

"No!" A.J. protested, voiced choked as she shook her head in denial, "No, no, no. Let me go, Punk!" She tried to yank her arm free but he grabbed her other wrist.

"A.J.,stop! Stop!"

"Punk!" A.J. started struggling violently "Let me go, you bastard!" She demanded hysterically.

Punk felt something snap. He'd risked his life for her too and she didn't seem to care. All she care about was..._him_.

"Look!" he said, his voice starting to rise, "let go of whatever Beauty and the Beast fantasy you got going on in that pretty head of yours. He's dead!"

She managed to get an arm free, reared back and slapped him in the face.

The slap snapped his head back, and he stood there for a moment, jaw clenched. Then he took her by the shoulders and shook her.

He shouted in her face, "HE'S NOT HUMAN! HE'S A THING! A MONSTER! A FREAK! DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AFTER HE GOT TIRED OF PLAYING WITH YOU? HE WOULD HAVE DECIDED HE WAS HUNGRY AND EATEN YOUR FRIGGIN' FACE! HE'S GONE AND THE WORLD IS BETTER FOR IT!"

Her face crumpled and she wailed, collapsing. He caught her, wrapped his arms around her and rocked her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. A.J. please, please stop!" he pleaded. "I'm sorry. I promise you, if I could I would help him. But there's nothing we can do." She gripped the front of his shirt, sobs wracking her small frame.

"Shhhhh," he soothed, stroking her hair.

Gradually, her weeping subsided. She pulled back a little, still sniffling. He looked at her face, dirty and smudged and tenderly wiped the tears from her swollen eyes with his thumbs.

"Punk?" she said, looking up at him.

"A.J." he said.

"Sorry," she said.

Punk nodded, "I understa-"

She grabbed him by the ears and head butted him in the face as hard as she could. He heard and felt his nose _crunch_, pain exploded through his head.

"AARRGGH!" He yelled, letting go of her to clutch at his face.

"Owwwww," she whimpered, holding her forehead before bolting to her feet and running.

"A.J.!" Punk bellowed, his nose pouring blood. "God damn it! A.J!"

He lunged to his feet but she nimbly avoided him and took off across the parking lot.

* * *

A.J. kicked off the shoe remaining on her foot and sprinted barefoot across the asphalt. She was pretty sure she'd broken his nose but there wasn't much she could do about that. His nose had been a little crooked to begin with anyway. She knew Punk meant well and was doing what he thought was best for her but she was damned if she was going to let the man she loved burn to death just to spare Punk's feeling.

She had to help him. The entire east side of the building was on fire. She'd seen part of the ceiling collapse but Kane was strong and he did have a little of the supernatural about him. She had to believe there was still a chance of getting him out.

Scores of firetrucks, ambulances and police cars were parked near the main entrance. Large crowds of people were being herded across to the auxiliary parking lot, away from the fire danger. She ran up to the first fire fighter she saw.

"Help! I need help!" She panted.

"Miss? Are you hurt? Let me take you to a paramedic." He began to guide her toward the ambulance.

"No, No, No! I'm not hurt! My friend, he's trapped in the building! You've got to help him!"

"We've got crews in there right now, evacuating people. We'll find your friend. In the meantime you need to stay with the other evacuees."

"No! You've got to get him now! He's trapped in the storage area on the east side of the building."She pointed toward where the thickest smoke was rising.

The fire fighter shook his head, "Miss, I'm sorry, that part of the building is extremely unstable. We can't send anyone in until we're sure it's not going to collapse.

"But he's in there!" A.J. pleaded desperately.

"I'm sorry miss, but you have to get back!" He pointed her toward the line of evacuees and then hurried off to help carry a ladder.

A.J. could have screamed with frustration. She needed something to get through that bay door. Weren't firetrucks equipped with axes?

That's when she saw the empty ambulance. There was no one inside but the ignition was still running. She looked around and slowly, nonchalantly opened the door. As she was about to slid behind the steering wheel a cold hand gripped her elbow. She gasped and looked up into the deadest eyes she had ever seen, blue like arctic ice and as cold as a marble slab. The face behind the eyes was unyielding, merciless. It was a face that had never known compassion or pity. She was looking into the face of Death.

"Where is my brother," The Undertaker said.

"He's in the fire, "A.J. gasped, "I've got to help him. " The Deadman looked at the inferno, his eyes narrowing.

A man in a paramedics uniform noticed her in the ambulance."Hey! You! Hey, get out of there!"

She slammed the door shut, threw the ambulance into gear and floored it. She picked up speed as the ambulance careened across the parking lot toward the fire. She hit the bay doors at full speed, smashing through them and whacking her head on the steering wheel.

She pushed the door open and fell dizzily out of the cab. Fire was all around her. She pulled herself to her feet, wincing as sharp pieces of rubble poked the bottoms of her bare feet.

"Kane!" she cried out, coughing from the smoke. She crunched through a pile of rubble, nearly falling when it shifted beneath her feet. She saw something move beneath a piece of plywood. She scrabbled down and threw some of the smaller pieces of rubble out of the way. It was a black gloved hand. She grabbed it and felt the fingers twitch.

"Oh God, " she whimpered She'd found him but there was a plank and a huge beam on top of him. There was no way she could move the beam, nor could she drag him out of there even if she could free him. To make matters worse, the end of the beam was on fire and spreading rapidly. He was still going to die. She twined her fingers through his. She would die with him.

An enormous hand grabbed her by the back of her dress and casually tossed her back out of the way. She landed on her butt and slid across the floor. It was the Undertaker.

He looked down at his brother, contemplating "Fool."

But bent down and easily heaved the beam off of him. He picked Kane up slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of rice, and carried him out into the night air, dumping him unceremoniously on the concrete.

"Kane!" she fell to her knees beside his body. Was he already dead? She touched his face. He growled and grabbed her wrist.

He was a bloody mess. His hair was matted with blood from a wound somewhere on his head, his mask covered in it. The right side of his face, his right arm and shoulder were burned. One of his eyes was swollen shut, the other wandered drunkenly, unseeing.

"Kane?" she whispered.

His hand rose, brushed her shoulder, clutched at it, then grabbed her by the throat.

"Kane!" she squeaked, "It's me! A.J!"

His good eye finally focused on her face. Slowly, the grip on her throat relaxed. His bloody hand gently touched her cheek. She clutched his hand and kissed his fingers.

He tried to push himself up but his arm wouldn't support him, and he fell heavily back to the ground.

"No, stay still," she admonished. She looked at The Undertaker who was just standing there, watching them indifferently. "He needs help!"

The Undertaker looked down at his brother without much sympathy. "He will live."

She started to protest, but looked again at his dour, humorless face and decided not to press her luck.

She moved until Kane's head was pillowed in her lap. His good eye, the dark one, stared intently into her face.

Finally, she asked, "What is it?"

He gently disentangled her hand and then slowly reached over to touch the neckline of her dress. She looked down at herself, she'd completely forgotten about the wedding. Already it seemed like it had taken place ages ago. She shook her head.

"No, I didn't marry Daniel." She paused, then continued, "I didn't want to, but...Punk objected. He stopped the wedding. And then...he proposed."

Kane's eye was fixed on her face, waiting.

She smiled, "I didn't want to marry him either."

She could feel his breathing, slow and labored. The mask was burned and half melted on his face making it difficult for him to breathe. She bit her lip, then made a decision.

She ran her fingers lightly over the edge of the mask then started to lift it from his face. His expression suddenly hardened and he grabbed her hand hard enough to hurt.

"NO!" he rasped.

"Kane," she said gently, "Trust me as I trust you."

He searched her face, the muscles in his lips and cheeks twitching. She held his gaze calmly, waiting. He relaxed his grip on her and closed his eyes as she peeled the mask away.

He waited, waited for the gasp of horror, the sharply indrawn breath. There was silence. Finally, he opened his eye and searched her face, looking for the revulsion he was sure would be there. There was none. She was looking at him and she was _smiling_. Her eyes were glowing like stars as they had the first time he'd ever noticed her.

"Kane, I _love_ you."

She leaned down and kissed him hard. It hurt. He didn't care.

Punk found them huddled together as The Undertaker stood over them like Demonic sentinel from Hell.

They didn't see him approach. He started to say something but then, watching them, he closed his mouth. She had his head cradled in her lap and he could see her head bent over his, her hair forming a curtain around them as she gently caressed his bare face.

A horrible stab of jealousy knifed through him, how was it possible that she loved that monster? How was it possible that she chose _that_ over him? As he watched, a maelstrom of hurt and sadness fell on him as he realized he would never have A.J's heart and to keep trying would only hurt her. He had to let her go.

He closed his eyes, breathed deep then opened them and took one last look. He silently wished her and Kane well and turned and walked away.


	18. Chapter 18

18

Loose ends

Six months later:

Daniel Bryan watched the light, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as he waited for it to turn green. He was late for an interview and it seemed he was hitting every red light between here and Stamford Connecticut. Life had been good since that fateful 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw. Not only had that freak Kane disappeared but C.M. Punk had also abruptly quit leaving the WWE Title belt contention wide open.

Bryan had won it easily and held it for the last six months. In six more he'd be practically running the WWE.

He'd had challengers of course, but it was like he couldn't be defeated. He'd met each and every challenger Vince threw at him and defeated them all with ease. The era of Daniel Bryan had begun. He'd be the biggest Superstar the WWE had ever seen.

His cell phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket and started to answer it.

A shadow suddenly fell across him, as if the sun had gone behind a cloud. What the heck? Bryan looked up through the driver's window in time to see a giant man-shaped shadow silhouetted against the sun. A split second later the window shattered as two enormous hands punched through the glass and grabbed him by the shirt. They dragged him out of the car through the window, the broken glass cutting his bare arms to ribbons.

He was dumped roughly to the ground. He saw a pair of very, very large boots and slowly looked up to see a hooded and cloaked seven foot tall wraith from Hell.

"Daniel Bryan," The Undertaker intoned, "You must answer for your crimes against my brother."

His eyes rolled back in his head .

"W—wait! I—I" Bryan stammered, holding his hand out.

Then, a second figure stepped from behind The Undertaker.

Kane.

Kane, the monster. Kane, the Big Red Machine.

Kane, whom he'd thought was dead.

Bryan began screaming like a girl as they both reached for him.

The screams stopped suddenly.

In his car, a disembodied voice could be heard from his forgotten cell phone.

"_Hello? Hello? Bryan, are you there?"  
_

* * *

Parts Unknown

It was the wedding of her dreams.

There was no lavish church, and no opulent wedding gown, no bouquet of expensive flowers.

The green grass and the blue sky served as their cathedral and she wore a simple dress, red, his favorite color with a single black rose in her hair.

There were no spectators, no bride maids or groomsmen. Just her and her love standing before a minister with a reluctant brother serving as their sole witness.

They joined hands and began to recite their vows. Her voice was girlish and eager. When his turn came he spoke with the quiet, halting gravity of a normally taciturn man.

She met his eyes, dark and light just like the two sides of his personality. His eyes told her more than any words he would love her until the breaking of the world.

The Undertaker stood to one side, watching as his brother exchanged vows with his woman. The Deadman did not understand her appeal but whatever it was, it seemed to ease his brother's torment and didn't he at least deserve that? Love, however, he still eschewed as a weak and useless emotion. As the ceremony concluded, he turned and walked away. It was finally done and he wasn't one for sentimental goodbyes.

The minister smiled as he concluded the ritual, "and I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

A.J.'s eyes shone with joy as he bent down and gathered her up. She locked her arms around his neck, fingers winding in his hair and pulled his lips down to hers. Their first kiss as man and wife brought with it the sweetness of all the promises they'd made to each other and all those yet to come. She could feel the steady beat of his heart against hers and the strength of his arms around her. At last he was hers and she was his and they would never let go again.

.

The End

(for now?)

.

Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know your thoughts!

(NOTES: This story originally started with a tragic ending (think Romeo and Juliet but Romeo is as an irredeemable monster) but as I wrote and the story grew with a melodramatic life of its own, I ended up torturing poor AJ and Kane more than I'd ever imagined. In the end, I didn't have the heart to keep them apart.

Also, I like Daniel Bryan and in no way do I see him as the hideous character he ended up becoming. Just like many other aspects of this story, his villainy kind of took on a life of its own. :) )


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you for reading my fanfic! The sequel is now up: "Beauty's Rival". Check it out!

s/8398831/1/Beautys_Rival


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